Alia Bhatt turns 29: Actor speaks on how Gangubai Kathiawadi was 'the most creatively fulfilling role'; watch video

On Alia Bhatt’s birthday, Sanjay Leela Bhansali Productions shared a featurette celebrating the actor and her role as Gangubai Kathiawadi that has been lauded since the film’s release.

The video has montages from the film, from Alia’s young and impressionable Gangubai to the later years where she is one of the most respected madams of Kamathipura.

“She is a girl first, who is put into extremely extraordinary situations, how she turns it around and possibly creates an extraordinary life,” she says in the clip. 

Gangubai Kathiawadi is based on the real-life Gangubai Kothewali, whose life has been chronicled in a chapter of Hussain Zaidi’s book Mafia Queens of Mumbai, which is also the source material.

The video also includes behind-the-scene moments from the film’s elaborate sets, Alia and director Sanjay in between shots and the actor getting ready for her scenes.

“The world that Gangubai comes from, is a world I have literally never stepped foot into, continues the actor. Alia said she has never even been in the lanes of Kamathipura, that’s how new the film's world was for her.

Alia explains that for the role, Sanjay wanted her to have a slight Gujarati twang when she spoke. The actor shared an anecdote from the set where she was asked to modulate her voice much differently from her usual way of speaking.

Alia also shared how her freckles were not hidden under make-up for her look as Gangubai, and she even had to wear a fake gold tooth, just like the real-life figure once did after a certain age.

“Gangubai is shameless but at the same time, she’s sensitive. She’s tough but she’s also extremely vulnerable. She’s selfish but at the same time, she’s extremely selfless. She’s a constant dichotomy. She’s always surprising you,” shares Alia.

The actor termed Gangubai Kathiawadi “the most creatively fulfilling experience” for her.

Gangubai Kathiawadi had its world premiere at this year’s Berlin Film Festival in February. The drama had its theatrical release on February 25, followed which it has been consistently minting money at the box office.

Watch Alia's video here: