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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

Was Deepika Padukone ‘Swapped’ In Dhoom 3 By Aamir Khan With Katrina Kaif?

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Deepika Padukone recently made a cameo in Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan, and she was lauded by the audiences for her role in the action-thriller film. Now, an old interview of the actress is doing the rounds on the internet, in which she talks about getting replaced in a film that she was ‘very excited’ about.

In an interview with Filmfare, Deepika says that at that point, she felt that that film would have done a lot for her career by just being a part of it. She said how she met the producer, and he was like, ‘We are very sure, but the actor is traveling. Let me discuss it with him, but consider it done.’ 

Deepika said that she thought she had secured the role; however, later, she found out that she was no longer a part of it. “Basically, there had been some sort of swap,” added the actress. While she did not mention the movie or the actor’s name, fans are assuming that Padukone is talking about Aamir Khan and how he replaced her with Katrina Kaif in Dhoom 3.

Further, Deepika revealed that she ended up doing Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani alongside Ranbir Kapoor. “I’m so happy I did. I’m so happy that it fell into my lap. It’s the best thing that could’ve happened to me. It was a classic example of when things happen, they happen for a reason,” she concluded.

On the work front, the actress will be seen next in Fighter, Kalki 2898 AD, and Singham Again.

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Did Ranbir Kapoor Cut Down His Fees By 50 Per cent For Animal?

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Ranbir Kapoor will be seen next in Animal, which is directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga. The film also stars Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Rashmika Mandanna, and Tripti Dimri.

A recent report in Pinkvilla states that the Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani actor has reduced his acting fees for Animal by 50 per cent. Ranbir’s current market value is around Rs 70 crore per film. The actor’s decision was to support the producers of Animal, Bhushan Kumar and Sandeep Reddy Vanga.

The sources added that Kapoor is charging a fee of Rs 30-35 crores for Animal. He will reportedly have a share of the profits if money is made on the film. “The amount of fees reduced by the actor has been spent on improving the production value of his gangster-drama,” added the source.

A few days ago, on Ranbir’s birthday, the teaser of Animal was unveiled, and it revolves around a troubled father-son relationship. The film is scheduled to release on December 1, 2023.

On the work front, Ranbir was last seen in Luv Ranjan’s Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, which starred Shraddha Kapoor in the lead alongside Dimple Kapadia, Anubhav Singh Bassi Inayat Verma, Hasleen Kaur, and Boney Kapoor, among others.

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Salman Khan Thanks Fans For Loving Tiger 3 Teaser; Says He Is ‘Really Proud’ Of The Franchise

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A few days ago, Salman Khan released the first video of Tiger Ka Message from his much-anticipated film, Tiger 3, which also stars Katrina Kaif in the lead. It has been getting immense love from audiences worldwide.

Reacting to the response by his fans, Salman said that he is ‘really proud’ of the Tiger franchise. “Tiger has gotten unanimous love and support from not only my fans but also from the audience across the world for over 10 years now! I’m really humbled that my character has resonated with so many people globally,” added the actor.

He added that when he started discussing the marketing plan for Tiger 3, he thought, “Why don’t they do a hat-tip to the nostalgia that this franchise holds in the hearts of the people? Tiger Ka Message is just that. If you see the video, it is mixed with footage from the past two films, Ek Tha Tiger and Tiger Zinda Hai. It talks about how Tiger has given his all for India and even risked his life and his family for his country,” said Khan.

Salman said that it was deliberately done to tell people what Tiger, the character, and the franchise stand for, as Tiger is a selfless agent, and he is really happy that people have given the teaser so much love. “I can’t wait to show you the trailer now,” he concluded.

Directed by Maneesh Sharma, Tiger 3 is slated to release in cinemas in November 2023.

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