Gangubai Kathiawadi review: Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Alia Bhatt create pure cinematic magic onscreen

4/5

A true story based on S. Hussain Zaidi's book Mafia Queens of Mumbai, the film celebrates the rise of a simple girl from Kathiawad who had no choice but to embrace the ways of destiny and swing it in her favour. The story follows the life of a young Ganga (Alia Bhatt), who quickly establishes her territory and becomes Gangubai, the matriarch of Kamathipura. Gangubai Kathiawadi honours the journey of a young woman who became the voice for women's empowerment.

We often say the words "film" or "movie" daily when we talk about motion pictures. But we rarely use the word "cinema" while describing the same. When do I do it? Only when it's a Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial, as the filmmaker comes from another indescribable league. After a very disappointing Padmaavat, Bhansali has come up with a raw and priceless gem, Gangubai Kathiawadi.

To summarise, a celebration of cinema, an ode to his previous films and the incredible Alia Bhatt, are the elements in Gangubai Kathiawadi that will leave you just in awe. It's an out-and-out Alia Bhatt film, and the actor delivers her career-best performance, to put it simply.

The film starts with a vibrant Gangubai visiting a brothel and talking to a teenage girl about accepting her fate now as a sex worker. She then recalls how she ended up in Kamathipura and how she’s come to terms that this is her life now. Apart from those flashback sequences, the whole film is in a linear format.

However, until the first half, it comes across as a sheer, breezy film, lacking slight depth. It's the performances and the grandeur that overpower the narrative in the first half.

Bhatt is perfect as a naive Ganga transforming into a sly Gangubai who knows about the wrongdoings of people around her. One such example is Sheela Masi, played by Seema Pahwa. It's a refreshing change to see the veteran actor in grey shades in a brief yet powerful role.

That's the thing about Bhansali; he always brings an array of powerful supporting actors in his films and has followed suit in Gangubai Kathiawadi as well. Here, the y are catalysts in supporting and taking Gangubai’s story forward.

Then comes Ajay Devgn, in a special stint as Rahim Lala, a mafia boss who is dreaded by every soul in that area. Once again, the actor let his eyes do all the talking. Devgn bounces in and out of the frame throughout the film and manages to not steal the thunder from Bhatt.

Bhansali has penned the screenplay with Utkarshini Vashishtha, while she wrote the dialogues with Prakash Kapadia, who yet again gave lines that are here to stay. But it's in the second half of Gangubai Kathiawadi that the dialogues get better, along with the screenplay.

Although the film is in a linear format, it's more in the second half that Bhatt gets deep into the skin of her character. Nobody can take away the fact that the efforts the actor made for the film were fruitful and will be remembered for the rest of the year.

The second half has yet another group of actors who are just as amazing as they were expected to be. Vijay Raaz, as trans Raziabai, puts on a menacing act, and Bhatt manages to match up with him with ease.

While Shantanu Maheshwari brings in lighter moments and two beautiful songs with Bhatt, which are the romantic sequences you wish to see in a Bhansali creation.

But Jim Sarbh takes the cake as a journalist named Hamid Fezi. The moment he comes on screen, it just lights up and you will surely sit upright to see what more he can bring to the table.

With this, the cinematography by Sudeep Chatterjee (who has worked with Bhansali previously in Padmavaat and Bajirao Mastani) is an add-on, and how! The tight-frames and zoomed-out shots are just impeccable and truly unmissable Bhansali elements.

In his previous outings, Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat, the brightest of the colours were splashed onscreen. But with Gangubai Kathiawadi, the colours are toned down a bit, and white shines through it all. At people's insistence of adding some colour to his films, Bhansali chose to exude his magic by just bringing on every shade of white on the screen.

There are no palaces or big hospitals in Gangubai Kathiawadi to celebrate the g randeur that the filmmaker's movies have. Call it a welcome change, but even the narrow lanes have been explored beautifully, giving it his signature touch to not make it look like it is set in an underprivileged area.

Let's talk about Alia Bhatt a little more, because it's still not enough. The collaboration between Bhansali and the actor has created magic that the big screen has craved for a very long time.

She has shut down the naysayers who said she looked miscast in every frame of the film. The actor took up the challenge and has passed with flying colours while wearing white for 98% of the film. A filmmaker like Bhansali, who makes his heroines shine, has given Bhatt the purest of pure white outfits, especially sarees, and she glitters in them too.

The rawness that she brings to her character in the entire film can't be described as something we have never seen before on screen. But from Alia, it's a first. Highway, Udta Punjab, and Raazi were all unexpected. But she's taken it to a whole new level in Gangubai Kathiawadi. For someone who started her film career with a film as corny as Student of the Year, she has only continued to defy expectations with the parts she chooses and the way she portrays them.

When the director and the music composer of a film are the same, you can imagine how well those sequences will be choreographed. Each song has Bhatt reacting to every beat, making it look like poetry in motion. The songs, especially Jab Saiyaan and Meri Jaan, are visual treats and you will float on their melody for days to come.

The choreography of Dholida by Kruti Mahesh, along with Sudeep Chatterjee's cinematography, will change the perception of the song entirely, while watching the film.

Chatterjee's cinematography has a lot of déjà vu moments, especially in the climax, which will remind you of the last scene of Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela.

But those aren't the only moments that will remind you of the Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh starrer film. There's also a sequence that has a similar vibe as that of Leela's confrontation scene with Ram after she takes over her Ba's (Supriya Pathak Kapur) duties.

The mafia-ness is yet another element in both the films and seems to have become Bhansali's forte, similar to that of the monarchical and royal stories he brings to the screen.

For me, Padmaavat is one of the weakest films by Bhansali, and Devdas is the best of the lot. But Gangubai Kathiawadi comes on the higher side and is amongst the best works of the filmmaker. Bhansali's films usually have love triangles and in that too, there's usually the involvement of three big actors coming together on the big screen.

But it's Bhatt who shoulders the film in every inch, which is again a first for the filmmaker to bring about on the big screen.

The film is purely for cinephiles who harbour a pure love for cinema and believe in the celebration of the same.

Gangubai Kathiawadi is more than just the story of a madam from Kamathipura. Sanjay Leela Bhansali takes the opportunity to bring in a new collaboration and break the monotony of his past works in various ways. Yes, it does work wonders, and credit where it's due, Alia Bhatt has the biggest role to play.