| Gangubai Kathiawadi | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Sanjay Leela Bhansali |
| Screenplay by | Sanjay Leela Bhansali Prakash Kapadia Utkarshini Vashishtha |
| Story by | S. Hussain Zaidi |
| Based on | Mafia Queens of Mumbai by S. Hussain Zaidi |
| Produced by | Jayantilal Gada Sanjay Leela Bhansali |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Sudeep Chatterjee |
| Edited by | Sanjay Leela Bhansali |
| Music by | Songs: Sanjay Leela Bhansali Score: Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara |
Production companies | Pen Studios Bhansali Productions |
| Distributed by | Pen Marudhar Entertainment |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 154 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | ₹100 crore[2][3][4][5] |
| Box office | est.₹209.77 crore[6] |
Gangubai Kathiawadi is a 2022 IndianHindi-languagebiographicalcrime drama film directed bySanjay Leela Bhansali and produced by Bhansali andJayantilal Gada. Based on the bookMafia Queens of Mumbai byS. Hussain Zaidi, it tells the story ofGangubai Kathiawadi, a simple girl fromKathiawad who is forced intoprostitution and later rises to become amadam and an influential figure inBombay'sred-light area.[7] The film starsAlia Bhatt in the title role, alongsideShantanu Maheshwari,Vijay Raaz,Indira Tiwari,Seema Pahwa,Jim Sarbh andAjay Devgn.
Gangubai Kathiawadi premiered at the72nd Berlin International Film Festival on 16 February 2022, and was released in theatres on 25 February 2022. It received widespread critical acclaim for its themes, direction, production value and Bhatt's performance. The film grossed₹153.69 crore (US$18 million) at the domestic box office and₹209.77 crore (US$25 million) globally, emerging as a commercial success.[8] Numerous publications listedGangubai Kathiawadi and Bhatt's performance in the film on various year-end best films and performances lists of 2022.[9][10]
The film has receivedvarious accolades. At the69th National Film Awards,Gangubai Kathiawadi won 5 awards, includingBest Actress (Bhatt) andBest Screenplay (Bhansali and Vashishtha).[11] At the68th Filmfare Awards, the film received a leading 17 nominations and won a leading 11 awards, includingBest Film,Best Director (Bhansali), andBest Actress (Bhatt).[12]
In 1944, 16-year-oldGanga Jagjivandas Kathiawadi, born into an affluent family to aGujarati Hindu barrister inKathiawad, aspires to become aHindi cinema actress and runs away from home with her older boyfriend Ramnik who promises her a film career under the tutelage of his aunt[a] Sheela. Ramnik turns out to be agroomer who sells Ganga to Sheela's brothel, where she is forced intoprostitution and has her name changed to Gangu. There, Gangu introduceslabour rights by advocating forprostitutes to observe days off from work once a week. One night, asadistic local goon Shaukat violently assaults Gangu, leaving her hospitalised. Hoping for justice, Gangu goes to Shaukat's principled boss,Afghanmafia leaderRahim Lala, who is impressed with her confidence. Declaring her to be his sister, Rahim brutally beats Shaukat when he reappears at the brothel, causing Gangu to earn the adoration of fellow prostitutes. Nine years later, Gangu becomes the brothel'smadame after Sheela's death. Henceforth, she is referred to as Gangubai,[b] and goes on to become a powerful figure inKamathipura, the red-light district ofBombay.
In 1962, 14-year-old Madhu fromRatnagiri District is sold into prostitution at a brothel in Kamathipura. Unable to force her into becoming asex worker, procurer Rashmibai requests Gangubai to persuade her. Gangubai meets Madhu and shares her story, eventually sending her back. Gangubai decides to stand as a candidate in the presidential elections of Kamathipura against the incumbent, a ruthlesshijra named Raziabai, who has won unopposed the last two years. With Rahim's help, Gangubai arranges illegal alcohol sales from her brothel to raise money and improve the living standards of the prostitutes. After Raziabai's failed attempt at arresting Gangubai, she broadcasts free Hindi films in her neighbourhood, attracting Raziabai's supporters. Furthermore, shearranges a marriage between Roshni, the virgin daughter of fellow prostitute Kusum, and Afsaan, aBihari Muslim tailor with whom she had a brief romance, by paying theirdowry and throwing a grand celebration,[c] gaining further support. Gangubai wins the elections and starts advocating for the civil rights of prostitutes. While in office, she gets to call her family for the first time in twelve years and finds out her father has died and her family has not forgiven her for running away.
After a grandNavaratri celebration and a voluntary business refrain,[d] Rahim informs Gangubai that a nearbyCatholic girls' school has started a campaign to evict prostitutes from the area over concerns of negative influences while a local builder wants to demolish the brothels to construct skyscrapers on their land. Gangubai protests, stating the prostitutes of Kamathipura will be homeless if evicted, and Rahim intimidates the builder's agent. Gangubai visits the school principal to get the children from her brothel admitted into the school, paying their fees for five years and suggesting the implementation of theirright to education as a better way to abolish sex trade than forceful eviction. The girls are enrolled in front of sympathetic newspaper journalist Hamid but are thrown out by the nuns on their first day after she leaves. Hamid decides to publish Gangubai's interview regarding the campaign in his newspaper to support her cause. Meanwhile, her friend Kamli dies after giving birth, and Gangubai takes in her child, Pammi.
Hamid arranges for Gangubai to deliver a speech at a feminist meeting held atAzad Maidan. In her speech, Gangubai highlightsmisogynistic societal viewpoints against her community, which label prostitutes as immoral but not the men who visit them and deprive their children of basic human rights. After her speech becomes popular, Hamid arranges a meeting with a local politician seeking her support in theupcoming elections. Since the school has filed aPIL with theSupreme Court, Gangubai is assured a meeting with thePrime Minister, inNew Delhi. Gangubai requests the legalization of prostitution in the country, claiming her neighbourhood is constantly discriminated against and is on the edge of homelessness. The Prime Minister agrees to set up a committee to investigate the status of prostitution in the country and block the brothels in Kamathipura from being vacated. With the order being granted, the brothels of Kamathipura are prevented from being evicted, and Gangubai is widely celebrated in her area for her influence[e] and social activism.
The news about an adaptation of one of the chapters ofHussain Zaidi's bookMafia Queens of Mumbai first came out in June 2017 withPriyanka Chopra attached to star as theleading character.[17] The film's earlier title wasHeera Mandi.[18] In March 2019, Chopra confirmed that she was working on a project with Bhansali, who also confirmed that he was makingGangubai Kathiawadi with Chopra.[19] However, in September 2019, media reported thatAlia Bhatt, who was supposed to do a different film, titledInshallah, by Bhansali was going to replace Chopra afterInshallah got shelved.[20] Principal photography begun inFilm City,Mumbai on 27 December 2019.[21][22][23]
The film marks theHindi cinema debut of television personalityShantanu Maheshwari, who portrays Gangubai's boyfriend Afsaan.[24] and TV actorVarun Kapoor to debut as the grey role of Ramnik Lala.[14]
Filming began in February 2019.[25][26] Production was put on hold in March 2020 due to thelockdown ordered by theIndian government owing to theCOVID-19 pandemic, when the film was 70% complete.[27] Bhatt resumed work on 6 October 2020, andAjay Devgn who is playing a cameo joined sets on 27 February 2021.[28] The film waswrapped up on 26 June 2021.[29][30][31]
Thefilm score is composed by brothersSanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara, while the songs featured in the film are composed bySanjay Leela Bhansali with lyrics written byA. M. Turaz,Kumaar and Bhojak Ashok "Anjam".[32] The Hindi version of the chorus singer includes Tarannum Jain, Dipti Rege, Aditi Pradhudesai, Aditi Paul, Kalpana, Ruchna, Pragti.[33] The Telugu version of the chours singer includes Sahithi Komanduri, P. Sathya Yamini, Harini Ivaturi, Aswhini Chepuri, V. Pavani.[34]
Gangubai Kathiawadi had its premiere on 16 February 2022 at72nd Berlin International Film Festival,[35][36] at the Berlinale Speciale Gala Section.[37][38] The film was released in cinemas on 25 February 2022.[39] Earlier, the film was scheduled for release on 30 July 2021 but it was postponed due to the rising cases and second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.[40] It was then scheduled for worldwide release in theatres on 6 January 2022 to avoid clashing with S. S. Rajamouli'sRRR, which would also get postponed due to theOmicron variant ofCOVID-19, the release has been changed to 18 February 2022.[41] Later, the date was pushed back by a week to release on 25 February 2022.[42]
The film was released in its original Hindi language along with a dubbed version in the Telugu language.[43]
The film was released onNetflix on 26 April 2022.[44] In June 2022, the film became the most-watched Indian film onNetflix.[45]
Gangubai Kathiawadi earned₹10.50 crore (US$1.2 million) at the domestic box office on its opening day. On the second day, the film collected₹13.32 crore (US$1.6 million). On the third day, the film collected₹15.30 crore (US$1.8 million), taking total domestic weekend collection to₹39.12 crore (US$4.6 million).[8]
As of 14 April 2022[update], the film grossed₹153.69 crore (US$18 million) in India and₹55.56 crore (US$6.6 million) overseas, for a worldwide gross collection of₹209.25 crore (US$25 million), recovering its budget and emerging as a commercial success.[8] The film grossed over₹209.77 crore (US$25 million) worldwide, becomingthe fifth highest grossing Hindi films of 2022.[46]Bollywood Hungama andBox Office India stated that the film's box-office verdict of a "hit".[47][48][49][50]
Gangubai Kathiawadi received critical acclaim with major praise directed towards the performances (particularly Bhatt, Raaz, Maheshwari, Devgn and Pahwa), music, production design, cinematography, storyline and Bhansali's direction.[51][52][53] On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 91% based on 22 reviews and anaverage rating of 7/10.[54]
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Sushri Sahu ofMashable gave the film a rating of four and a half out of five stars and wrote "Sanjay Leela Bhansali'sGangubai Kathiawadi starring Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn and others is an absolute crowd-puller.[55] Mugdha Kapoor Safaya ofDNA India gave the film a rating of four out of five stars and wrote "The film's narrative is such that you will empathise with Gangu, root for her and cheer for her with every small victory but never pity her."[56]
Jagadish Angadi ofDeccan Herald gave the film a rating of four out of five stars and wrote "Alia Bhatt as Gangubai is exceptionally brilliant. The linear storytelling effectively highlights multiple conflicts of Gangubai.[57] Wendy Ide ofThe Observer gave the film a rating of four out of five stars and wrote "The hard-hitting story of a sex worker who rises through the ranks of 60s ganglandMumbai is powered by a magnetic performance from Alia Bhatt".[58]
Ronak Kotecha ofThe Times of India gave a rating of three and a half out of five stars and wrote "With whatever is packed into this drama, there are enough moments that will draw you into this world where nights seem endless and the lights never fade."[59]Saibal Chatterjee ofNDTV gave the film a rating of three and a half out of five stars and wrote "The visually sumptuous character study, more baroque than 1950s Bombay, is at once sweeping and intimate".[60] Tushar Joshi ofIndia Today gave a rating of three and a half out of five stars and wrote "Gangubai Kathiawadi's camera work, background score and dialogues are the three pillars that take it from being just another gutsy biopic to a film that creates a massive impact. Gangubai is a solid risk for both Bhansali and Alia. A risk that pays off beautifully for both the director and his muse".[61]
Prathap Nair ofFirstpost gave a rating of three and a half out of five stars and wrote "Written by Bhansali andUtkarshini Vashishtha, it flips the narrative by handing out extraordinary concessions to the female lead at its heart, not entirely a frequent occurrence inBollywood".[62]Bollywood Hungama gave the film a rating of three and a half out of five stars, writing: "The Alia Bhatt-starrerGangubai Kathiawadi is a powerful saga and is embellished with terrific moments and a career best performance by Alia Bhatt. At the box office, it has bright chances to score with the multiplex and female audiences".[63]Stutee Ghosh ofThe Quint gave the film a rating of three and a half out of five stars and wrote "Gangubai Kathiawadi is a Sanjay Leela Bhansali canvas and a complete Alia Bhatt show".[64]
Sukanya Verma ofRediff gave the film a rating of three and a half out of five stars and wrote "Something in Alia has surely changed afterGangubai. Her entire performance is about proving to herself and not to the world what she can do, feels Sukanya Verma".[65] Sanjana Jadhav ofPinkvilla gave the film a rating of three and a half out of five stars and wrote "Alia Bhatt and the cast performances, Bhansali's visuals and a sneak peek into this brutal world makes it a definite watch".[66]
Devesh Sharma ofFilmfare gave the film a rating of three and a half out of five stars and wrote "SLB has again given us a film which keeps us glued to our seats for close to three hours".[67]Shubhra Gupta ofThe Indian Express gave the film a rating of three out of five stars, writing, "Sanjay Leela Bhansali's latest is the kind of old-fashioned dialogue-heavy, sentiment-on-sleeve film which Bollywood is forgetting how to make".[68]
Monika Rawal Kukreja ofHindustan Times wrote "Alia Bhatt...has given a superlative performance as Gangubai".[69] Anuj Kumar ofThe Hindu wrote "This is easily Bhansali at his best as he has been able to marry craft with content; here, he attempts aPakeezah for the millennials and almost succeeds".[70] Sonia Dedhia ofNews18 wrote "Alia Bhatt practically disappears into the character of Gangubai Kathiawadi. There's a hard-to-miss intensity in her eyes, and tenacity in her voice".[71]
The Guardian featured Alia Bhatt's portrayal in their listing of the best big-screen performances of all time.[9] Wendy Ide ofScreen Daily named Bhatt's performance in the film as the best performance of the year 2022.[72]Mark Kermode ofThe Guardian listed Bhatt's performance in the film as one of the ten best performances of 2022.[73] Subhash K. Jha ofTimes of India listed Bhatt's performance in the film among the top five acclaimed female performances of 2022.[74]Sukanya Verma ofRediff listed Bhatt as one of the top female performers of 2022.[75]
Sanyukta Thakare ofMashable listed Bhatt as one of the top female performers of the year.[76] Santanu Das ofHindustan Times listed Bhatt's performance in the film as one of the best Indian film performances of 2022.[77] Sakshi ofNews24 listed Bhatt's performance in the film as one of the best Indian film performances of 2022.[78]
Ananya Jain ofIndiatimes listed Bhatt's performance in the film as one of the best Indian film performances of 2022.[79]Man's World staff listed Bhatt's performance in the film as one of the best Bollywood female performances of 2022.[80]
Subhash K. Jha ofFirstpost crownedGangubai Kathiawadi as the best Hindi film of 2022.[81]Anupama Chopra ofFilm Companion ranked it as the third best Indian film of 2022.[82]Shubhra Gupta ofThe Indian Express listed it as one of the best films of 2022.[83]
Deepa Gahlot ofRediff listed it as one of her top movies of 2022.[84] Aparita Bhandari ofPaste listed it as one of the ten best Bollywood movies of 2022.[85]Times of India listed it as one of the best Bollywood films of 2022.[86]The Financial Express listed it as one of the highly acclaimed content-driven films of 2022.[87] Corinne Sullivan and Jasmine Ting ofCosmopolitan listed it as one of the twenty best Bollywood movies of 2022.[88] Allan Hunter ofScreen Daily listed it as one of the ten best films of 2022.[89] Siddhant Adlakha ofVulture listed it as one of the five best Indian films of 2022.[90] Shomini Sen ofWION listed it as one of the best Hindi films of 2022.[91] Anuj Kumar ofThe Hindu listed it as one of the best Hindi films of 2022.[92]
Nidhi Gupta ofVogue India listed it as one of the best Bollywood movies of 2022.[93]Scroll staff listed it as one of 2022's best and most memorable releases in cinemas and on streaming platforms across different languages.[94] Meenakshi Shedde ofMid-Day listed it as one of the top twenty best all-India films of 2022.[95]
Gangubai Kathiawadi is credited as one of the films which has revived the movie business postCOVID-19 pandemic.[96] It is considered as anice-breaker for Bollywood since it was one of the few Hindi films to pull audiences back to the cinema halls after the pandemic.[97][98]Bollywood Hungama noted thatGangubai Kathiawadi's commercial performance has given the much-needed hope to the industry that the box-office in the near future would fire up even more. They also noted Bhatt's ability to shoulder a film on her own and stated, ‘‘Actresses often are not able to do so and need the help of a male actor to get audiences to cinemas. Alia, on the other hand, stands out and she doesn't need any hero's support. Without a male actor, she has managed to deliver a film that's all set to enter the₹100 crore club and that speaks volumes’’.[49]
Additionally,Bollywood Hungama further noted that, there's a belief that the cinema-going audience primarily consists of males. As a result, testosterone-driven films aimed at men would have a high chance of succeeding and fairer sex can't make a film a hit. However,Gangubai Kathiawadi's box office performance proves that even women audiences can take the film into the 'hit' or even the 'super-hit' zone.[49] Bhatt's look inGangubai Kathiawadi inspiredMalaysia's Northern Haute Couture Fashion Show 2022.[99]Deadline Hollywood noted thatGangubai Kathiawadi proved to be a ‘‘rare-breakout’’ for a female-led Bollywood feature.[100][101] ActressBhumi Pednekar creditedGangubai Kathiawadi for encouraging her to do female-lead films.[102] Cultural professorRachel Dwyer referredGangubai Kathiawadi as Bhansali's version of 1972cult classic,Pakeezah. She drew parallels between Bhatt's andMeena Kumari's character and wrote, "Gangubai may be seen as a version of Sahibjaan/ Pakeezah, who finds herself in the great modern city of Bombay/Mumbai rather than in the courtly world of the then Hindustan, just as Meena Kumari was a heroine of the post-Independence cinema, the way Alia Bhatt is of today’s post-Bollywood".[103]Outlook magazine calledGangubai Kathiawadi a modern-day classic and credited it for setting the stage for a shift in audience's taste.[104]
Historical Accuracy
In the film, Alia Bhatt portrays the historical figure of ‘Gangubai Kothewali’ who was a sex worker, brothel madam, and local social activist for sex worker rights in Kamanthipura, Mumbai, during the 1950s and 60s. Zaidi’s book ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai’ describes her as coming from a wealthy, well-educated family in Kathiawar, Gujrat, and as a teenager she idolised Hindi cinema and dreamed of becoming an actress. At the age of 16, she eloped to Mumbai with her suitor, Ramnik Lal, married him, and then was deceived and sold to a Kamanthipura brothel for about INR 500 (USD 5.6), where she was forced into sex work. Later accounts of her life talk about how she developed a strong relationship with the underworld don, Karim Lala, and even cemented that friendship by tying him a rakhi, after which he gave her political control over the area. Sources credit her with returning trafficked girls like ‘Madhu’ in the movie to their homes, lobbying and fighting against the displacement of brothels under ‘moral clean-up’ campaigns linked to nearby schools, and delivering the widely reported speech as shown in the movie, at ‘Azad Maidan’ (a large historical public ground inSouth Mumbai), that later led to an appointment withJawaharlal Nehru (Prime Minister) to discuss sex workers’ rights.[105]
The film reproduces several concrete incidents which are present in Zaidi’s book, and subsequent journalistic retellings of her life. The film’s opening stretch highlights her affluent background, eloping to Mumbai, dreaming of a film career, and being sold to the brothel in Kamanthipura. The scene where a gangster brutally assaults and rapes her, she goes to Karim Lala and shows her injuries, and then Karim Lala murders the gangster, parallels the story of how she and Karim Lala built that strong relationship. Even the visual details like the trademark white sari with a broad border and a large red bindi are consistent with her photographs and descriptions of her public persona.[106][107][108]
At the same time, the film does take some creative liberty and uses drama and storytelling rather than a strictly accurate, end-to-end historical reconstruction of her life. Major films in the movie like the political rival Raziabai, the brief love episode with Afsaan, the journalist Hamid, and several friends and family members (like Kamli and her child Pammi) are significant drivers of the film plot and emotional storyline, however do not appear in Zaidi’s book, which rather focuses on Madhu, Karim Lala, and institutional actors like schools and other politicians. While sources do refer to brothel-keeper elections and her being remembered and called as the ‘President of Kamathipura’, they do not describe the formalised, high-drama presidential contest depicted in the film, with campaign stunts, chanting, rallies, and a singular showdown with one rival (Raziabai), which Bhansali stages in the film.[109][110][111][112]
budget of 180 Cr
made on a budget of 175-180 Cr
Gangubai Kathiawadi was created on a huge budget of Rs 100 crore which included the stunning set design and an amazing star cast.
however the delay in release resulted in the budget going up to Rs 160 crore.
The movie garnered critical and commercial acclaim post its release., critics lapped up Bhatt's central and grounding performance in an otherwise loud and dramatic movie.