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MUMBAI: Alia Bhatt is undoubtedly one of the most promising actresses in Bollywood currently. Well, not just that. Alia has also been considered a style icon. With her million-dollar smile and captivating charm, the dimpled beauty can make anything look alluring, She is gearing up for the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali collaboration ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’. She spoke to PTI about her role and how she prepped.
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To prepare for her performance in Gangubai Kathiawadi, actress Alia Bhatt says she watched a lot of vintage Hindi films, particularly those starring Meena Kumari, since director Sanjay Leela Bhansali wanted her to capture the old world elegance and grace that the actresses of that era had.
As part of her preparation, Bhatt saw the Shabana Azmi-starrer Mandi, a Shyam Benegal film starring her mother Soni Razdan, the American period drama Memoirs of a Geisha, and other vintage Indian films.
Bhatt plays Gangubai, one of the most powerful, loved, and revered madams from Mumbai's red-light district Kamathipura during the 1960s, in the upcoming period drama.
He (Bhansali) encouraged me to pay close attention to Meena Kumari's work, especially her expressions... her mannerisms
"It's one thing to be an actor, and it's quite another to be a heroine." I've been advised to watch these films, and every time I do, I'm filled with admiration for Waheeda Rehman ji, Shabana Azmi ji, Madhubala ji... It gives you goosebumps the way they perform these long shots. We've somehow lost the allure of presenting a heroine in that way, that old-world allure."
After two prior collaborations with Bhansali fell through, she was offered Gangubai Kathiawadi, which she describes as her "most creatively fulfilling experience."
Bhansali reportedly wanted Bhatt, who has appeared in films including Highway, Udta Punjab, Raazi, and Gully Boy, for a film called Balika Vadhu when she was only 11 years old. Then there was Salman Khan's Inshallah, which didn't work out.
Gangubai Kathiawadi, according to Bhatt, raises vital social concerns without being preachy.
"By the end of the film, you should have felt or questioned something." There's a lot to like about 'Gangubai.' Playing this role has taught me so much about myself as a person."
Gangubai Kathiawadi is expected to be released theatrically on February 25 after overcoming numerous challenges, including two cyclones–Nisarga 2020 and Tauktae May 2021–and the COVID-19 shutdown.
"We soldiered on despite a lot of hard labor, sleepless nights, blood, sweat, backache, stomach ache, COVID-19, and everything else," Bhatt remembered.
Ajay Devgn, Seema Pahwa, Vijay Raaz, and Jim Sarbh appear in the film, which is produced by Bhansali Productions and co-produced by Jayantilal Gada's Pen India Limited.
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Credits: Indian Express
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