What happens when a dreamy filmmaker like Sanjay Leela Bhansali gets a daring and very hungry performer like Alia Bhatt? The viewers and the world gets a cinematic insight into the luxuriously sleazy world of Gangubai Kathiawadi, the popular Madame or ‘Gharwali’ of Mumbai’s red-light area Kamathipura, from the 60s era.

The film is an adaptation of a chapter, from the novel titled – Mafia Queens of Mumbai by Hussain Zaidi. The story is about this vulnerable 16-year-old daughter of the barrister from the Kathiawad district, who fantasises about Dev Anand and wants to become a heroine in Bollywood. She instead gets, tricked by her lurking boyfriend, and trafficked into the brothel at Kamathipura for a sum of Rs 1000. There she is ravaged & raped to surrender to this red-light zone. Once she emerges from that dingy-dark room, where even a ray sun cannot trespass, she instantly becomes the most popular prostitute of the brothel.

Gangubai parlays her popularity into becoming the voice of 4000 oppressed fellow girls from Kamathipura. Just when she makes peace with her destiny, she undergoes a brutal sexual assault by one of the goons from the gang of the underworld don & ‘King of Bombay’, Rahim Lala. Gangu manages to plead justice for herself from Lala, who also becomes her sworn brother. He not only thrashes his own gang man for his wrongdoing, but Lala also makes Gangu her business partner. And so, her skyward ascent begins, which ultimately leads her to become this popular sex-worker activist, who even manages to meet then Prime Minister of India, Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru.

Though, Bhansali’s portrayal omits any lapse like drugs or other crimes that Gangubai was reportedly involved in. The film presents a very moving tale of this vulnerable girl becoming the Mafia Queen and a very revered Godmother, who is apparently worshipped till today, in those forbidden lanes of Mumbai’s popular red-light area.

The film is a treat for a typical Bollywood buff like me. Alia is one chameleon of an actor in this biopic. Despite her petite self, and innocent face, she commands a rather audacious screen presence. Be it her frail body language during the scenes of trial, or the thunder in her voice towards the end of the film, she does it with elan. Ajay Devgn who plays Rahim Lala has a few scenes, but he doesn’t have to even speak a word to show his prowess on screen. Like always his calm manages to create the furore required for the act.

Veteran actor Seema Pahwa gets her first serious role and she pulls it well. Vijay Raaj is believable as trans madam Raziabai, so is Jim Sarab & Indira Tiwari as Kamli.

Art direction could have been better. The sets and costumes look a bit too glossy for a grim tale like this. One cannot help but compare the look of the film with his earlier projects, especially Ram-Leela which was also set in Gujarat. Even the full-length songs, could have been rather entwined in screentime as powerful background score. With a very engaging narrative, it is a total time & paisa-vasool film with very schmaltzy and brave performances.

Pop Corn Rating – 4/5 (🍿🍿🍿🍿)

Princy Jain

connect@princyjain.com

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