'Have you seen Gangubai Kathiawadi?': Robin Baker urges Academy Awards, BAFTA to watch the film ASAP

After Sophia Di Martino, Robin Baker from the British Film Institute National Archive praises Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi, and asks BAFTA to watch it 

Gangubai Kathiawadi, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, defied all expectations when it was released and has since grown to become one of the most cherished movies of 2022. Now with this Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Directorial almost completing a year of its big release, it is still getting accolades from not just audiences, but all well-esteemed people around the globe. 

This time around,  the head curator of British Film Institute National Archive, Robin Baker took to social media and praised Gangubai Kathiawadi as he also requested BAFTA and Academy awards to watch it. He wrote “If I was a member of BAFTA or the Academy (I'm not), this year I would be voting for Alia Bhatt as Best Actress for her performance in GANGUBAI KATHIAWADI (Sanjay Leela Bhansali, India, 2022). She plays a prostitute turned underworld brothel madam turned campaigner for sex workers’ rights, and the joy of her performance is how she grows as her character develops. 

The film is big, brash, sentimental and hugely enjoyable, but Bhatt is sensational. There's the additional pleasure of the film's classic Hindi cinema references - from Gangubai's love of Dev Anand to scenes of cinema-going in the 50s and 60s to the numerous film posters lining the streets around Bombay's red light district. 

When it comes to his movies, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is renowned for getting the greatest performance out of his performers. An actual instance of this was in the movie Gangubai Kathiawadi, when the director brought out the best in Alia Bhatt that no one could have ever envisioned. Now with Gangubai Kathiawadi becoming bigger than ever, it proves that no force big or small can defy an art made with genuine stories full of courage.  

In addition, Gangubai Kathiawadi by Sanjay Leela Bhansali was the first real Hindi blockbuster released after the pandemic. With the movie, the director managed to incite rage at the box office while also receiving a ton of praise from people all around the world. The movie became a huge commercial success and the first genuine hit for the Hindi film industry after the pandemic during its theatrical run, grossing 153.69 Cr. domestically and 209.77 Cr. globally.