Gangubai Kathiawadi review: Alia Bhatt saves an average Sanjay Leela Bhansali film

Alia Bhatt starrer Gangubai Kathiawadi had created a stir with the release of the film’s trailer. The bets were placed high on Alia’s performance, giving hopes to the movie buffs for seeing Alia in a path-breaking role that she has never done before. Having to do films such as Highway and Raazi, Alia had already proved herself that she is not only in the game but also knows how to play it right. And with Gangubai Kathiawadi, she has gone a step ahead in proving herself right, simultaneously surprising everyone with her stellar performance.

Gangubai Kathiawadi is a film based on Hussain Zaidi’s book – Mafia Queens of Mumbai. Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the film faced legal issues, days before its release.

Speaking about the film, when you have Sanjay Leela Bhansali in the chair of a director, you already know that you are in for a visual treat. From humongous sets to costumes, storyline and a powerful star cast, a Bhansali film often is a magnum opus. However, Gangubai Kathiawadi seems to be a rather average film created by Bhansali, in comparison with his previous projects.

The story has claimed to show the life of Gangubai Kathiawadi from being an innocent teenager ‘Ganga’ who falls in love with a wrong man to becoming ‘Gangubai’ who was sold to a brothel by the same man whom she loved and married. The film shows Alia Bhatt in different flavours – an innocent woman forced into prostitution to a lady who decides upon fighting for herself and changing things in her favour with her boldness, grit and compassion. It also shows how a tragic incident in Gangubai's life turns into the beautiful brother-sister relationship she shared with Rahim Lala.

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What worked: The larger-than-life sets of Sanjay Leela Bhansali are always a treat to the eyes. But more than that, it was Alia Bhatt’s performance that has stolen the show. Alia has nailed all her scenes, particularly the one where she is forced to dress up, stand outside the door of a brothel in a particular manner and ask to invite customers. The innocence and pain in Alia’s eyes will hit you on the right spot, telling the story of every female who has been forcibly pushed into the flesh trade.

On the other hand, Ajay Devgn’s portrayal of Rahim Lala also comes off as a potential fit. Ajay brings the aggression of a mafia, compassion for his people and the will to serve justice; there could not have been a better match for Rahim Lala’s role than Ajay.

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The other star cast including Vijay Raaz, who essays the role of Raziyabai (president of Kamathipura), will leave you impressed equally. Shantanu Maheshwari has come out as a surprise package in this film while Jim Sarbh brings the funny element to the plate with the character portrayal of a journalist.

What did not work: The film’s based on Gangubai's life's ups and downs, yet the script turns out to be rather average. It feels like the director could have done a lot but did not reach its full potential.

Speaking of acting, a lot was expected from Vijay Raaz’s character Raziyabai. When you have someone like Vijay in the star cast, the audience definitely wants to see more of him. However, Vijay’s character had a lot to show but little screen space.

In terms of the script, Sanjay Leela Bhansali could have done better than what he has shown in this film. The first half of Gangubai Kathiawadi seems to be a little drag but the movie picks up some sort of pace in the second half.

What also did not really work, given that it is a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film, is its music album. Gangubai Kathiawadi’s songs are nice but not great. Songs from Bhansali’s previous films such as Padmavat and Bajirao Mastani, particularly Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Khamoshi, continue to remain the favourites of many. However, in Gangubai, the songs did not impress much.

Overall, the film turns out to be a one-time watch, especially for Alia Bhatt’s performance. You don’t want to miss watching her in this bold avatar of Gangubai.

Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Star cast: Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, Vijay Raaz, Seema Pahwa, Shantanu Maheshwari, Indira Tiwari, Jim Sarbh
Stars: 3 stars. Alia Bhatt clearly takes the extra star for herself while the other two are for the entire cast and crew of Gangubai Kathiawadi.

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• Alia Bhatt
• Gangubai Kathiawadi
• Sanjay Leela Bhansali
• Ajay Devgn