Gangubai Kathiawadi Review

Before we begin talking about Gangubai Kathiawadi, we would like to eat humble pie. Alia Bhatt has the gumption to take on a role that few (including yours truly) would consider her to be the obvious choice for - and the acting chops to pull it off.

After Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat, Sanjay Leela Bhansali spins yet another larger-than-life tale based on a real story with plenty of grim. Gangubai Kathiawadi is a fictionalised, yet true-in-spirit version of a powerful tale, and it has Bhansali's stamp all over it - he is the director, the producer, the editor, a screenplay writer, and the songwriter.

Ganga (Alia Bhatt) is a young girl from Kathiawad whose dreams of filmstardom are taken advantage of by a despicable suitor who cons her into eloping with him to Mumbai. Sold to a brothel in Kamathipura, Mumbai's red light district, for a mere thousand rupees, Ganga has to learn to fend for herself in a hostile, brutal world.

Gangubai Kathiawadi tracks the journey of one woman - from Ganga the barrister's daughter, to Gangu the prostitute, to Gangubai the protector of sex workers in all of Kamathipura. As she so eloquently puts it, Gangubai will take what is rightfully hers by any means.

Like in plenty of his other films, there are a few things that are a given when it comes to Sanjay Leela Bhansali - lavish sets, elaborate song and dance sequences, and a myriad of colours, but also embellishment that serves to soften the hard reality of the characters in question. The aforementioned embellishment is in no way designed to be malicious or to twist facts unfairly - it just helps maintain the glossy sheen that Bhansali so carefully drapes his work with. Gangubai's ties to violence are all but gone, drug peddling is replaced with the much more acceptable alcohol, and even the benevolent local don Rahim Lala (Ajay Devgn) can almost pass off for a reputable businessman (save for one scene, and even then the character is making a point).

But for all its gloss, Gangubai Kathiawadi is a hard-hitting tale, and the first half has quite a few moments that are harrowing to watch. The movie also takes its own sweet time to completely establish Gangubai's character, causing you to lose interest in some time, but it goes full steam till (almost) the end after that, and manages to pull you right back. The sheer audacity of the lead character is easily the big pull, and with Gangubai being in almost every frame the movie offers, it's masterful craftsmanship.

Alia Bhatt is immense as the titular Gangubai Kathiawadi. While she isn't flawless, it's impressive how she sinks her teeth into a difficult yet meaty role with refreshing abandon, and despite minor imperfections - like the slips in diction when doing her accents - she never falters when the camera is on her.

Ajay Devgn has a small but important role, and he also has the "cool guy" entry that you would associate him more with. Vijay Raaz is scary as the intimidating transgender woman who is at loggerheads with Gangubai, though his character sometimes borders on the edge of being a caricature.

Speaking of caricatures, Seema Pahwa's pimp act is so over-the-top that it feels out of place in such a serious movie. The supporting cast do a good job, even if Jim Sarbh hems and haws it in a hammy journalist's role.

Sudeep Chatterjee's cinematography recreates '50s and '60s Kamathipura in Bhansali's vision. Multitudes of colours, but in a muted fashion, to convert the dark nature of some of the film's elements are a constant - so are long shots that portray the red light district as a large, bustling neighbourhood. Bhansali's songwriting has both hits and misses, and Sanchit and Ankit Balhara's score does likewise.

Gangubai Kathiawadi has its heart in the right place - it is after all the personal crusade of a woman wronged by society that ultimately becomes an overarching fight for the rights of sex workers all over the country. It is also an entertaining film, with an expectation-defying powerhouse performance by Alia Bhatt. If either of those things appeals to you, grab some popcorn and go for it!