Sanjay Leela Bhansali unveils Alia Bhatt as ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’

Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, behind mega Bollywood creations such as ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ and ‘Devdas’, is back with his latest opulent offering ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’, set for a July release.

The teaser and poster of this much-anticipated film, starring Alia Bhatt in the lead role, dropped this week and has created quite the stir on social media with leading stars including Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra Jonas joining in with praise.

The award-winning Indian filmmaker, who tends to set many of his films amid havelis and palaces of India, shared the latest teaser as a special gift for the audience on his birthday.

“She rose in power and embraced life in her own way,” notes the tagline for the new film, based on the life of a real-life character of a madam of a brothel in Kamathipura – a neighbourhood in Mumbai.

Bhansali, known for his grand cinematic ventures, has set out to impress his fans with yet another largescale offering. It promises to be one of the most exciting and interesting projects of the year, which will mark the 10th directorial outing for Bhansali.

The background score in the teaser is already making waves and the music of the film promises to be equally haunting.

He also takes on the production, along with Dr Jayantilal Gada of Pen Studios, with plans for a cinematic release on July 30.

Bhatt will be backed up by actors Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Vijay Raaz and Seema Bhargava. She takes on the complex role of Gangubai, who was born in Kathiawad, Gujarat, but was drawn to the glitzy film industry of Mumbai. She dominated the scene in 1960s Bombay and was a formidable force to be reckoned with within the sex-worker world of the city.

Bhansali has used a chapter from Hussain Zaidi's book ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai’ as the base for his cinematic inspiration.