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Review: ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’: Alia steals hearts as Gangubai

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Film: ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ (Running in Theatres); Duration: 157 minutes

Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Cast: Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn, Huma Qureshi, Seema Pahwa, Vijay Raaz, Jim Sarbh, Chhaya Kadam, Mitali Jagtap, Indira Tiwari, Shantanu Maheshwari

Rating: ****

Auteur Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s latest oeuvre, ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ is based on the chapter, ‘The Matriarch of Kamatipura’ 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 only to find herself sold in the brothel of Kamathipura, a neighbourhood of Mumbai famous for 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 effortless makes the film appear like a sunshine film that motivates. “Gangubai mahaan nahin thi, woh shaitan bhi nahi thi,” and despite this, Bhansali brilliantly manages to portray her as a larger-than-life character, and you empathise with her when she puts forth her point of view regarding the women of her tribe.

The film is loaded with admirable performances from its ace 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, or headbutting with Raziabai (Vijay Raaz) the eunuch who is standing for the local elections, or flirting with the apprentice tailor Afshan Razak (Shantanu Maheshwari), or dancing during the Navratri celebrations where she delivers complex steps to an intense song in a seamlessly one 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, who 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 Razak is charming.

Unfortunately, Huma Qureshi in a stage performance is wasted.

This engaging biopic contains all the tropes of a typical SLB film. Bhansali astutely 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 to the screen for over two and a half hours. The dialogues full of wit and hard-hitting messages are fresh and worth mentioning. Sample this, when Razia challenges Gangubai before the election campaign, Gangubai tells her, “Tuje kyon tevar dikhaongi mein tuje din main tare dikhaongi.”

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, with film posters from that era, prominent among them being ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ and ‘Chaudhvin Ka Chand.’

The music, as usual, is exceptional but a bit low-key compared to SBL’s previous films. Two songs cater to the Garba audience, and they are both fabulously choreographed and picturised.

Overall, ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi,’ is worth watching on the big screen.

Bollywood

The Great Indian Kapil Show Season 4: Will Virat Kohli Be The Next Guest? Kapil Sharma Responds To Fan Requests

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Will Indian cricketer Virat Kohli be Kapil Sharma’s next guest on The Great Indian Kapil Show? When a fan asked Kapil about inviting the cricketer to his show, he responded by saying “zaroor karunga.”

During an #AskKapil session, a fan wrote, “Virat Kohli ki aapke show paar kab invite kaar rahe ho ya aapki is bare me unse baat hui ya nahi sir (When are you inviting Virat Kohli to your show, or have you spoken to him about this or not, sir).” To this, Kapil replied, “Kabhi mila to zaroor request karunga unse (sic).”

Following Kapil’s reply, fans continued urging The Great Indian Kapil Show host to invite more Indian cricketers as well. One user even requested, “Dhoni aur Sachin Tendulkar ko Kab request karoge.”

Kapil Sharma will next be seen in Kis Kis Ko Pyaar Karoon 2, releasing in cinemas on December 12, 2025. The film stars Kapil in the lead role alongside Manjot Singh, Ayesha Khan, Hira Warina, Tridha Choudhary, Parul Gulati, Triptii Dimri, and Vipin Sharma.

Today, Kapil Sharma took some time out of his busy schedule to respond to fans’ questions. When one user asked, “Sir aapke show ka new season kab aa raha,” Kapil replied, “It’s starting on 20th December on @NetflixIndia.”

Another fan asked, “Kapil bhai aapne dhurandhar movie dekhi ky agr dekhi he to aapko movie kaise lagi ??” Kapil responded, “Busy in promotions, couldn’t watch it, but try to watch it tonight agar jaldi free ho gya to, mere bhai @RanveerOfficial ki movie hai, how can I miss it (sic).”

Season 4 of The Great Indian Kapil Show will premiere on December 20, 2025. As per reports, the first episode will feature Navjot Singh Sidhu and Harbhajan Singh as guests, appearing along with their wives. Besides them, the regular cast; Kapil, Sunil Grover, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Archana Puran Singh, and Rajiv Thakur, will also return to the show.

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Bigg Boss 19 Winner Gaurav Khanna’s EXCLUSIVE Interview: ‘Dil Jeete Hai Isliye Show Jeeta Hoon!’

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Bigg Boss 19 winner was announced on Sunday, and the famous television actor Gaurav Khanna won the trophy. Media exclusively spoke to Gaurav about his victory, his journey in the house and more…

While talking about winning the trophy without going below the belt or using abusive language, Gaurav said, “I feel that a trophy cannot be won without winning hearts because this is a public voting show. If someone says that he has only won the trophy, then it would be dishonest. Because without winning hearts, you cannot lift this trophy. So I am very happy that, along with the trophy, I have made a place in people’s hearts. And that is because they (audience) have related to me, and they have related to me in person. Not because I am acting or I am playing a character, which a lot of people inside the house tried to run a lot of narratives.”

“They (contestants) pointed fingers at me, they put me down in a corner, thinking that I would retaliate, but they forgot that this was a marathon, and I knew when I had to run fast and when I had to run slow. So they lost their breath somewhere in between, but they forgot the stamina a real contender has. They made fun of me; it’s their fault,” he added.

When we asked Gaurav what he would like to tell the people who would say that he didn’t do much in the BB19 house, but still won, the actor said, “I just want to say one thing to them that I was not there to please 15 people inside. I was there to please 150 crore people watching me, and somewhere I have made some mark, I have touched their hearts somewhere, and that’s why they have voted for me. And they have voted for me consistently because these guys, these 15 chaps inside, were nominating me every week.”

The Anupamaa actor further said, “So they were trying to push me out, but because of you (audience) guys, I was standing in front of them like a rock, and I was standing in a completely dignified manner. I didn’t say anything bad to anyone, I didn’t get into unnecessary topics, I didn’t create unnecessary topics, I didn’t break plates, I didn’t wear jewellery, I didn’t wear designer clothes, I was very normal. I think in a show like this, people want to see normal people, and when they see that a person is normal or is trying to be normal, then they connect with you. Dil jeete hai isliye show jeeta hoon!”

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Kartik Aaryan, Ananya Panday promote ‘Tu Meri Main Tera, Main Tera Tu Meri’ on Amitabh Bachchan’s KBC

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Mumbai, Dec 1: Actors Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday are all geared up for their upcoming movie Tu Meri Main Tera, Main Tera Tu Meri, which is slated for a Christmas release this year.

The actors who are currently on a promotional spree were spotted at the Kaun Banega Crorepati sets on the 1st of December to promote their movie on the iconic quiz reality show hosted by the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. Ananaya was seen dressed in a beautiful and classy saree, while Kartik looked dapper in his suit-boot avatar.

Apart from imparting knowledge to the audience, KBC has become a hotspot for movie and show promotions for the entertainment industry, owing to its popularity. Earlier, the cast of Family Man, Jaideep Ahlawat, Manoj Bajpayee, and Sharib Hashmi, had appeared on the show to promote their series. The cast, along with Big B, was seen having a blast.

Talking about Tu Meri Main Tera, Main Tera Tu Meri, Kartik and Ananya were recently in the city of Jaipur to promote their movie. At a packed press conference in Jaipur, Kartik was seen opening up about Ananya’s journey as an actress, especially when asked what it felt like to come together again after seven years, referring to the movie Pati, Patni Aur Woh.

The actor had recalled how she was just starting out when they first collaborated and how today she stands tall with a newfound confidence, sharper craft, and a mature ease that shows both on and off screen. Kartik also spoke warmly about watching Ananya grow not just as an actor but also as a person. Reuniting after their Pati Patni Aur Woh days, the duo seemed to slip straight back into their spark. Recently, Kartik and Ananya had opened up about filming the title track of “Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri”

Kartik, in a statement, had shared, “The energy on set while shooting this track was an absolute banger!! Vishal and Sheykhar have delivered something extraordinary with this one. And with Remo bringing his magic to the choreography, the vibe on set was next-level electric. Can’t wait to see the audience grooving on this track!! ”

Ananya had added, “This track is totally on fire! It captures the entire feel of the film, the fun, the chaos, and the electric connection between Rumi and Ray. We had such a blast shooting it, and I truly believe this is the biggest party anthem of the season.” She added, “Huge props to Vishal and Sheykhar for this banger! And of course, Remo sir’s choreography just makes you want to get up and dance; he brought such infectious energy to the song with his choreography! ”The season’s biggest, loudest, and most addictive banger.”

On November 28, the makers of the upcoming film released the first and the title track, “Tu Meri Main Tera”. Directed by Sameer Vidwans, the film is slated to release this Christmas on 25th December.

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