Gangubai Kathiawadi: Through The Lens Of Sanjay Leela Bhansali

We, at Khush, got an early look at Alia Bhatt’s much-awaited movie and here is all the tea for you.

This masterpiece is a real-life story, first told in the novel ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai’ by Hussain Zaidi and now picturised through the peculiar lens of Sanjay Leela Bhansali in all shades of red. Set in Kamathipura- the red light area of Mumbai, the story collectively depicts the journey of most women that have landed here. It revolves around once-naive turned piercingly diplomatic Gangubai played by actress Alia Bhatt. It explores Gangubai, previously known as Ganga’s journey from her provincial life shown in short to becoming a political representative for the four thousand women of the region.



After being abused and battered in a brothel for months, she accepts the present state of her life and begins to take control of her situation. What comes next is truly the turning point of her story leading her to Ajay Devgn played by Karim Lala, her socio-political stronghold. She then becomes the Madame of the brothel, campaigns for the rights of sex workers, strives to change the future of their children by leading them to the path of education. She fights head-to-head with the-then representative of Kamathipura and plays her pawns accurately to become the Mafia Queen. The storyline preserves a handful of hope-filled moments alongside the gruesome hardships of life in this area.

Alia’s threshold as a performer matched with the exquisite story-telling aptitude of Bhasali explores her potential beyond the stretch of the cinema screen. She effortlessly showcased the character’s vulnerability making it the perfect nod to her decade-long career in Bollywood. Another unmissable character was the Urdu journalist played by the gorgeous Jim Sarbh. From his entry in the seated scene right upto the narrated closing scene, Jim validates the role with a touch of his quirks. The colours and costumes stay true to the director’s taste. This sentimental tale performed by peculiarly casted actors is a must-watch.