Film: Gangubai Kathiawadi
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Cast: Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, Huma Qureshi, Seema Pahwa, Vijay Raaz, Jim Sarbh, Chhaya Kadam, Mitali Jagtap, Indira Tiwari and Shantanu Maheshwari
Rating: ****
SANJAY Leela Bhansali’s latest oeuvre, Gangubai Kathiawadi is based on the chapter, “The Matriarch of Kamathipura” from the book Mafia Queens of Mumbai – Stories of Women from the Ganglands authored by S Hussain Zaidi and Jane Borges.
This is the compelling story of Ganga Harjivandas Kathiawadi, the daughter of a barrister from Kathiawar, who, with stardust in her eyes, ran away from home to become an actress. But she finds herself sold in the brothel of Kamathipura, a neighbourhood of Mumbai famous for the flesh-trade.
This film unravels Ganga’s journey from a brothel worker to an activist fighting for the rights of the sex workers. In the film, Ganga calls herself “Ganga Jagjivandas Kathiawadi”.
While Ganga’s story is filled with pain and pathos, the narrative effortlessly makes the film appear like a film that motivates.
Bhansali brilliantly manages to portray her as a larger-than-life character, and you empathise with her when she puts forward her point of view on the women of her tribe.
The film is loaded with admirable performances from its star cast.
The film is an outright Alia Bhatt’s canvas where she delivers a flawless performance showcasing a gamut of emotions and her dancing skills with aplomb.
She steals the show on several counts, be it while speaking to her mother over the phone, headbutting with Raziabai (Vijay Raaz) the eunuch who is standing for the local elections, flirting with the apprentice tailor Afshan Razak (Shantanu Maheshwari), or dancing during the Navaratri celebrations where she delivers complex steps to an intense song in a seamlessly lengthy shot.
It is impossible to take your eyes off Ajay Devgn who, in a significantly minor role as the principled mafia don Rahimlala, is intense and intimidating all at the same time.
Seema Pahwa as Sheelamaasi, the madam of the brothel, is fascinating. Similarly, Vijay Raaz as the eunuch Raziabai is enthralling, and Shantanu Maheshwari as Gangubai’s love interest Afshan is charming.
Unfortunately, Huma Qureshi in a stage performance is wasted.
This engaging biopic contains all the tropes of a typical Bhansali film. He manages to put his inimitable stamp into every frame of the film, which appears like poetry on the screen, emotionally expressive and attractive.
The screenplay is water-tight and engaging, keeping you riveted for over two and a half hours. The dialogues is full of wit and hard-hitting messages are fresh and worth mentioning.
Mounted with brilliant production qualities, the film is visually captivating with well-etched characters, resplendent sets, and period costumes.
While the timelines in the film are ambiguous and blurred, it nevertheless captures the period from the mid-1950s to the 1960s.
The music is exceptional but a bit low-key compared to Bhansali’s previous films.
Overall, Gangubai Kathiawadi is worth watching on the big screen.
*Gangubai Kathiawadi is showing at CineCentre SunCoast.
– IANS