The movie did happen to run into a few bumps weeks before its release. Daughter of Haji Mastan - Shamshad Supariwala took Balaji to the Bombay City Civil Court and demanded a stay on the release of the movie on the grounds that the movie shows her father in bad light.
Pursuant to this Haji Mastan's adopted son also filed a case before the Bombay City Civil Court seeking a similar relief. However, the hon'ble court did not stay the release of the movie and only asked Balaji to put a disclaimer at the beginning of the movie stating that the movie was not based on the life of Late Haji Mastan.
The son then moved the Bombay High Court against the order passed by the city civil court wherein also no stay on the movie was granted and the hon'ble Bombay High Court only asked Balaji to issue a press release stating that the movie was not based on the life of Late Haji Mastan.
Seen through the eyes of a police officer, ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI traces the changing face of the Mumbai underworld. The film, set primarily in 1970 Mumbai, follows the rise of Sultan (Ajay Devgn), and his eventual fall, when his protégé Shoaib (Emraan Hashmi), challenges his supremacy, and usurps power to rule the murky underbelly of Mumbai.
Balaji and Milan Luthria's ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI is all set to release worldwide on 30th July 2010