'Gangubai Kathiawadi' trailer: Alia Bhatt leads the way all along
Following a long wait, the trailer for Alia Bhatt's Gangubai Kathiawadi was released earlier on Friday and, the wait was worth it. Based on S. Hussain Zaidi's Mafia Queens of Mumbai, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali surely gives us high hopes for Bhatt's first biopic. Here, the actor will be essaying a character inspired by Gangubai Kothewali, an influential figure in Mumbai's red-light district.
What does the trailer show?
The over-three-minute-long trailer begins with a mature and confident Gangubai addressing a political rally, where she demands educational opportunities for the children of women who work as prostitutes. In flashbacks, we look at a young Gangu, who was sold to a brothel and had to learn the trade. Bhatt's expressions are top-notch as she transitions from a naive girl to a bold, queen-of-the-land woman.
Vijay Raaz's Raziabai, Ajay Devgn's Lala get introduced as well
If for a woman, hailing from the lowest rungs of society, exercising agency was not difficult enough, Gangu finds her rival in Raziabai (Vijay Raaz), contesting to assert dominance in Kamathipura (Mumbai's red-light area). The other pivotal character is that of Ajay Devgn's Karim Lala, who seems to have helped Gangu during her young days. It also stars Indira Tiwari and Seema Pahwa.
Watch the trailer here
So, does Bhatt's casting look satisfactory in the trailer?
Ever since Bhatt's look as the formidable figure was revealed in 2020, netizens had criticized the 28-year-old actor's casting, complaining she doesn't look experienced or mature enough. After watching the trailer, it is true that makers have not gone for (thankfully) digitally aging Bhatt but she has pulled off the nuances of playing an older woman with her acting. But certain problems still remain.
The 'Chinese' joke sounds offensive
To include "humor" in the crime drama, Bhansali went with a "Chinese" joke that Gangubai delivers to a northeast person and that's disappointing. While one can understand that Gangu might not have had the education to be sensitive and the times captured onscreen are different, makers might have chosen a different joke to be featured in the trailer. Gangubai Kathiawadi releases on February 25.
