Alia Bhatt starrer Gangubai Kathiawadi will hit the theaters on July 20. (Photo: Alia Bhatt/Instagram) On the occasion of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 58th birthday, Gangubai Kathiawadi teaser has been released by the makers. It stars Alia Bhatt in the titular role and also has a special appearance by actor Ajay Devgn. The film is based on one of the chapters of noted author Hussain Zaidi’s book, Mafia Queens of Mumbai.
In the short teaser, we meet Alia as Gangubai, who is independent, feisty, outspoken and a strong individual. In her own words, she was, and will always be “the moon”. Bhatt seems to have worked on her body language and dialect to portray the character of a madam of the brothel who originally came from the Kathiawad region of Gujarat. Bhansali, for whom the film is his tenth directorial, has paid attention to details. The background score in the teaser catches attention and raises interest in the music of the film.
Alia’s powerful portrayal earned her accolades from her colleagues in Bollywood. “Alia!!!! I’m so proud of you my friend for stepping into complexity fearlessly. I hope you always keep shining. Presenting- Gangubai Kathiawadi! Congratulations Sanjay sir and team,” wrote Priyanka Chopra who has worked with Sanjay in two films in the past. Akshay Kumar also said that Gangubhai Kathiawadi teaser has suitably impressed him. “Gangubai Kathiawadi … had found the title itself very intriguing from the day I’d heard it…the teaser only adds to it! @aliaa08 along with #SanjayLeelaBhansali sir bring their A-game again, so looking forward to it,” he tweeted.
Watch the Gangubai Kathiawadi teaser here:
Before releasing the teaser, Bhatt shared a poster of her movie. In the new poster, the actor bore a confident look as she stared into the camera. Along with it, she announced the release date of the film. “in cinemas 30th July, 2021 ♥️” Bhatt captioned the photo.
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Among those who reacted to the teaser was Karan Johar. “With @aliaa08 and #SanjayLeelaBhansali working together, it’s bound to be magical…. What a brilliant teaser! Super super proud of you baby girl! Can’t wait to see this on the big screen! 🔥 @bhansaliProductions #GangubaiKathiawadi,” he wrote.
https://t.co/gxkk2I3UeW With @aliaa08 and #SanjayLeelaBhansali working together, it’s bound to be magical…. What a brilliant teaser! Super super proud of you baby girl! Can’t wait to see this on the big screen! 🔥 @bhansaliProductions #GangubaiKathiawadi
— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) February 24, 2021
Alia!!!! I’m so proud of you my friend for stepping into complexity fearlessly. I hope you always keep shining. Presenting- Gangubai Kathiawadi! Congratulations Sanjay sir and team.@aliaa08 @bhansali_produc https://t.co/sD8MtbVpYy
— PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) February 24, 2021
I always look forward to your work as an actor ‘little one’. And this one seems extremely special….and you….so Gangsta!!! All my love and wishes for the film. @aliaa08 https://t.co/ZPIIfWGQYs
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) February 24, 2021
Superb Teaser Sanjay Sir!
Great screen presence @aliaa08
Looking forward to the film. https://t.co/NBJMTu9dJI #GagubaiKathiawadiTeaser— Ram Charan (@AlwaysRamCharan) February 24, 2021
Wow.
Yet another magnum opus by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
Yet another tour-de-force performance by brilliant @aliaa08
Looking forward to seeing it on the big screen. #GagubaiKathiawadiTeaser— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) February 24, 2021
Katrina Kaif was all praise for Gangubai Kathiawadi teaser.
The makers of Gangubai Kathiawadi got embroiled in legal trouble much before the film’s release. Babuji Rawji Shah, who claimed to be Kathiawadi’s adopted son, filed a suit against Bhansali, Alia and Hussain Zaidi. He claimed the chapter of Zaidi’s book, from which Bhansali’s film is adapted, was false, wrong and portrayed a negative image of his mother, showing her to be a sex worker, a mafia queen, and running a brothel in an area with links to underworld gangsters.
However, the court accepted the arguments made on behalf of the filmmaker and others that the suit was barred by the law of limitation since the book was released in 2011 and the suit was filed nine years later, on December 2020.
Who was Gangubai Kathiawadi?
Gangubai Kathiawadi worked for the upliftment of women and orphans in the area of Kamathipura.
Gangubai Kathiawadi reportedly came to Mumbai from Gujarat with her partner who betrayed and sold her off. She was pushed into prostitution and went on to foster ties with many underworld dons and even got a hold over certain portions in Mumbai. She became the owner of a brothel. She is said to have championed the rights of sex workers, saying that their job didn’t give anyone the authority to violate them. She also worked for the upliftment of women and orphans in the area of Kamathipura. Her life has been chronicled in a chapter of S Hussain Zaidi’s book, Mafia Queens of Mumbai.
Check out a few stills from Gangubai Kathiawada
Alia Bhatt in a still from Gangubai Kathiawadi.
This is the first collaboration between Alia Bhatt and Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
Alia Bhatt plays the role of Gangubai Kathiawadi in the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film.
Gangubai Kathiawadi was earlier scheduled to arrive in theatres on September 11 in 2020 but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is produced by Bhansali Productions and Jayantilal Gada’s PEN India Ltd.