Gangubai Kathiawadi: Alia Bhatt reveals her friends thought she was too young to play Gangubai, clarifies how the film revolves around her early days

After many years of work and almost a year of shoot amid the pandemic, Alia Bhatt is set to bring Gangubai Kathiawadi on the big screen with Sanjay Leela Bhansali helming the project. This marks the first collaboration between the filmmaker and the actress and the hype around it is quite massive. The conversations around the film have been quite positive but many netizens have talked about how Alia Bhatt looks quite young to play the role of Gangubai. The actress recently clarified that the film dives into the younger days of the brothel madam.

“Firstly, she’s not old. She is 30 so take the thought out that I am playing an old woman. The thing is we don’t have much information on Gangubai. The one picture we got of her, in black and white, she’s old. So there’s a feeling that ‘Oh, she’s Gangubai and Alia’s wrong.’ Obviously, in that context, I am wrong (for the role). But it’s not character. Gangubai became powerful very young in her life. That was actually one of the facts that at a very young age, she became a caretaker of a brothel. Things in her life happened very fast, at a very young age. We had to show a transition from the age of 16-17 to the age she’s shown in the film, which is 31-32," she said, in an interview with radio talk show host Siddharth Kannan.

Alia Bhatt also said that she is aware that people might be referring to her baby-like features for not being fit for the role. “It’s not something that I disagree with at all that in terms of perception, you won’t think (that Alia fits the bill). But that’s the fun that you won’t imagine that anyone can do this," she added.

Interestingly, the actress also said that even her friends thought she was young to play the role but it wasn't until the trailer their perception changed. Alia added, “My own friends and people were like ‘Oh you’re too young’ or ‘you’re looking young (for the part)’. I was like ‘okay if that’s what you feel but watch the film and then see.’ When they watched the trailer, everybody was like ‘oh you’re not looking young, it’s working.'"

Gangubai Kathiawadi has also been selected to be screened at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival in February and will have its world premiere at the festival, to be screened as part of Berlinale Special, a segment of the film festival which is dedicated to showcasing exemplary cinema.

Viacom18 Studios & Paramount Pictures International will be distributing Gangubai Kathiawadi in all International markets outside of India. Produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Dr. Jayantilal Gada (Pen Studios), the film is all set to release theatrically on 25th February 2022.

ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: “Gangubai Kathiawadi comes from a very personal place in his heart” – Alia Bhatt on Sanjay Leela Bhansali

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