Gangubai Kathiawadi

Gangubai Kathiawadi is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language biographical crime drama film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and produced by Bhansali and Jayantilal Gada. Based on the book Mafia Queens of Mumbai by S. Hussain Zaidi, it tells the story of Gangubai Kathiawadi, a simple girl from Kathiawad who is forced into prostitution and later rises to become a madam and an influential figure in Bombay's red-light area. The film stars Alia Bhatt in the title role, alongside Shantanu Maheshwari, Vijay Raaz, Indira Tiwari, Seema Pahwa, Jim Sarbh and Ajay Devgn.

Gangubai Kathiawadi premiered at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival on 16 February 2022, and was released in theatres on 25 February 2022. It received widespread critical acclaim for its themes, direction, production value and Bhatt's performance. The film grossed ₹153.69 crore (US$18 million) at the domestic box office and ₹209.77 crore (US$24 million) globally, emerging as a commercial success. Numerous publications listed Gangubai Kathiawadi and Bhatt's performance in the film on various year-end best films and performances lists of 2022.

The film has received various accolades. At the 69th National Film Awards, Gangubai Kathiawadi won 5 awards, including Best Actress (Bhatt) and Best Screenplay (Bhansali and Vashishtha). At the 68th Filmfare Awards, the film received a leading 17 nominations and won a leading 11 awards, including Best Film, Best Director (Bhansali), and Best Actress (Bhatt).

In 1944, 16-year-old Ganga Jagjivandas Kathiawadi, born into an affluent family to a Gujarati Hindu barrister in Kathiawad, aspires to become a Bollywood actress and runs away from home with her older boyfriend Ramnik who promises her a film career under the tutelage of his aunt Sheela. Ramnik turns out to be a groomer who sells Ganga to Sheela's brothel, where she is forced into prostitution and has her name changed to Gangu. There, Gangu introduces labour rights by advocating for prostitutes to observe days off from work once a week. One night, a sadistic local goon Shaukat violently assaults Gangu, leaving her hospitalised. Hoping for justice, Gangu goes to Shaukat's principled boss, Afghan mafia leader Rahim Lala, who is impressed with her confidence. Declaring her to be his sister, Rahim brutally beats Shaukat when he reappears at the brothel, causing Gangu to earn the adoration of fellow prostitutes. Nine years later, Gangu becomes the brothel's madame after Sheela's death. Henceforth, she is referred to as Gangubai, and goes on to become a powerful figure in Kamathipura, the red-light district of Bombay.

In 1962, 14-year-old Madhu from Ratnagiri District is sold into prostitution at a brothel in Kamathipura. Unable to force her into becoming a sex worker, procurer Rashmibai requests Gangubai to persuade her. Gangubai meets Madhu and shares her story, eventually sending her back. Gangubai decides to stand as a candidate in the presidential elections of Kamathipura against the incumbent, a ruthless hijra named Raziabai, who has won unopposed the last two years. With Rahim's help, Gangubai arranges illegal alcohol sales from her brothel to raise money and improve the living standards of the prostitutes. After Raziabai's failed attempt at arresting Gangubai, she broadcasts free Hindi movies in her neighbourhood, attracting Raziabai's supporters. Furthermore, she arranges a marriage between Roshni, the virgin daughter of fellow prostitute Kusum, and Afsaan, a Bihari Muslim tailor with whom she had a brief romance, by paying their dowry and throwing a grand celebration, gaining further support. Gangubai wins the elections and starts advocating for the civil rights of prostitutes. While in office, she gets to call her family for the first time in twelve years and finds out her father has died and her family has not forgiven her for running away.

After a grand Navaratri celebration and a voluntary business refrain, Rahim informs Gangubai that a nearby Catholic girls' school has started a campaign to evict prostitutes from the area over concerns of negative influences while a local builder wants to demolish the brothels to construct skyscrapers on their land. Gangubai protests, stating the prostitutes of Kamathipura will be homeless if evicted, and Rahim intimidates the builder's agent. Gangubai visits the school principal to get the children from her brothel admitted into the school, paying their fees for five years and suggesting the implementation of their right to education as a better way to abolish sex trade than forceful eviction. The girls are enrolled in front of sympathetic newspaper journalist Hamid but are thrown out by the nuns on their first day after she leaves. Hamid decides to publish Gangubai's interview regarding the campaign in his newspaper to support her cause. Meanwhile, her friend Kamli dies after giving birth, and Gangubai takes in her child, Pammi.

Hamid arranges for Gangubai to deliver a speech at a feminist meeting held at Azad Maidan. In her speech, Gangubai highlights misogynistic societal viewpoints against her community, which label prostitutes as immoral but not the men who visit them and deprive their children of basic human rights. After her speech becomes popular, Hamid arranges a meeting with a local politician seeking her support in the upcoming elections. Since the school has filed a PIL with the Supreme Court, Gangubai is assured a meeting with the Prime Minister, in New Delhi. Gangubai requests the legalization of prostitution in the country, claiming her neighbourhood is constantly discriminated against and is on the edge of homelessness. The Prime Minister agrees to set up a committee to investigate the status of prostitution in the country and block the brothels in Kamathipura from being vacated. With the order being granted, the brothels of Kamathipura are prevented from being evicted, and Gangubai is widely celebrated in her area for her influence and social activism.

The news about an adaptation of one of the chapters of Hussain Zaidi's book Mafia Queens of Mumbai first came out in June 2017 with Priyanka Chopra attached to star as the leading character. The film's earlier title was Heera Mandi. In March 2019, Chopra confirmed that she was working on a project with Bhansali, who also confirmed that he was making Gangubai Kathiawadi with Chopra. However, in September 2019, media reported that Alia Bhatt, who was supposed to do a different film, titled Inshallah, by Bhansali was going to replace Chopra after Inshallah got shelved. Principal photography begun in Film City, Mumbai on 27 December 2019.

The film marks the Hindi cinema debut of television personality Shantanu Maheshwari, who portrays Gangubai's boyfriend Afsaan. and TV actor Varun Kapoor to debut as the grey role of Ramnik Lala.

Filming began in February 2019. Production was put on hold in March 2020 due to the lockdown ordered by the Indian government owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, when the film was 70% complete. Bhatt resumed work on 6 October 2020, and Ajay Devgn who is playing a cameo joined sets on 27 February 2021. The film was wrapped up on 26 June 2021.

The film score is composed by brothers Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara, while the songs featured in the film are composed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali with lyrics written by A. M. Turaz, Kumaar and Bhojak Ashok "Anjam". The Hindi version of the chours singer includes Tarannum Jain, Dipti Rege, Aditi Pradhudesai, Aditi Paul, Kalpana, Ruchna, Pragti. The Telugu version of the chours singer includes Sahithi Komanduri, P. Sathya Yamini, Harini Ivaturi, Aswhini Chepuri, V. Pavani.

Gangubai Kathiawadi had its premiere on 16 February 2022 at 72nd Berlin International Film Festival, at the Berlinale Speciale Gala Section. The film was released in cinemas on 25 February 2022. Earlier, the film was scheduled for release on 30 July 2021 but it was postponed due to the rising cases and second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was then scheduled for worldwide release in theatres on 6 January 2022 but to avoid clash with S. S. Rajamouli's RRR, which would also get postponed due to Omicron variant of Covid-19, the release has been changed to 18 February. Later, the date was pushed back by a week to release on 25 February 2022.

The film was released in Hindi along with the Telugu-language dubbed version.

The film is now streaming on Netflix from 26 April 2022. In June 2022, the film became the most-watched Indian film on Netflix.

Gangubai Kathiawadi earned ₹10.50 crore (US$1.2 million) at the domestic box office on its opening day. On the second day, the film collected ₹13.32 crore (US$1.5 million). On the third day, the film collected ₹15.30 crore (US$1.8 million), taking total domestic weekend collection to ₹39.12 crore (US$4.5 million).

As of 14 April 2022, the film grossed ₹153.69 crore (US$18 million) in India and ₹55.56 crore (US$6.4 million) overseas, for a worldwide gross collection of ₹209.25 crore (US$24 million), recovering its budget and emerging as a commercial success. The film grossed over ₹209.77 crore (US$24 million) worldwide, becoming the fifth highest grossing Hindi films of 2022. Bollywood Hungama and Box Office India stated that the film's box-office verdict of a "hit".

Gangubai Kathiawadi received critical acclaim with major praise directed towards the performances (particularly Bhatt, Raaz, Maheshwari, Devgn and Pahwa), music, production design, cinematography, storyline and Bhansali's direction. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 91% based on 22 reviews and an average rating of 7/10.

Sushri Sahu of Mashable gave the film a rating of four and a half out of five stars and wrote "Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi starring Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn and others is an absolute crowd-puller. Mugdha Kapoor Safaya of DNA India gave the film a rating of four out of five stars and wrote "The film's narrative is such that you will empathise with Gangu, root for her and cheer for her with every small victory, but never pity her."