Gangubai Kathiawadi is a biographical film written and directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, based on a chapter of the book 'Mafia Queens of Mumbai' written by Hussain Zaidi. It has Alia Bhatt playing the titular character of Gangubai, while Ajay Devgn, Vijay Raaz, Shantanu Maheshwari, and others play important roles. The film is bankrolled by Jayantilal Gada and Sanjay Leela Bhansali himself, under the banners Pen India Limited and Bhansali Productions.
Ganga (Alia Bhatt) is a girl born in a wealthy, affluent family in Gujarat. She has deep aspirations to become an actress at the age of 16. Her love interest Ramnik Lal promises to make her an actress and takes her to Bombay. However, he sells her to a brothel in Kamathipura and that turns her aspirations and life upside down. The rest of the film deals with her rise to becoming the Queen of Bombay's red-light area.
One remarkable aspect about Sanjay Leela Bhansali films is that every part of a frame contains his signature. Be it the lighting, the costumes, the dance sequences, the accessories worn by everyone in the scene, the colours... they all keep reminding you that this is a Bhansali film, and Gangubai is no different. Shouldered by a fantastic Alia Bhatt up front, the first half contains a lot of memorable moments that linger on even after we leave the cinema hall.
The transformation of Ganga to Gangu, and Gangu becoming a force to reckon with in Kamathipura is handled beautifully, and with a lot of care as well. The film shows how prostitutes are forced into the trade, how they are abused and harassed, but it doesn't romanticise it. Most of the time, the film cuts away when that happens, and we only see the bruises on them. Gangu's romantic portions with Afsaan (Shantanu Maheshwari) is a delight to watch as well.
Alia portrays the character of Gangu to perfection and her screen presence keeps us engaged here. The second half has its own writing issues, but it is Alia who helps in covering up most of it with her acting. She is ably supported by Vijay Raaz who appears as Raziya Bai and an earnest Shantanu Maheshwari. Ajay Devgn has very low screen time, but for the time we see him, he holds his fort and delivers a sublime performance as Rahim Lala.
The writing in the second half seems to be a bit hurried. In life, it is hard to predict whether one will be successful in the future or not. While the first half treads carefully keeping this in mind, the second half has been written in a way where it seems Gangu knows she is going to end up successful. Barring this, the film works really well for most of its run time.
The music by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the cinematography by Sudeep Chatterjee support the director's vision, and at times do more than that. There are chances that you miss the narrative, and start thinking about how beautiful the frames and music is. The former's songs are choreographed with subtle precision, while the latter's work is complemented by the brilliant production design.
Overall, Gangubai Kathiawadi is another gem by Sanjay Leela Bhansali that is a must watch for anyone. If you're a fan of Bhansali's work, then this will satisfy you like no other film of his has. Technically and performance wise, the film gets it right in almost every department, and the culmination of all these engages and entertains you properly. A visual extravaganza it is.