Watching a Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie on the big screen is like being painted luxuriously with every kind of opulence imaginable. From Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam to Devdas and Bajirao Mastani to Padmaavat, the man has created a signature style of his own, that of giving his audience a larger-than-life on-screen experience replete with magnificent locations, splendid jewellery and costumes, properties, all woven together with music and dance.
But his upcoming film Gangubai Kathiawadi is unlike all the films that he has made in the past. Based on the life of Gangubai Kothewali, a young girl sold into prostitution by her suitor Ramnik Lal, and adapted from a chapter of Hussain Zaidi’s book Mafia Queens of Mumbai, the trailer take us through the journey of the central character portrayed by Alia Bhatt.
The first thing that you notice in the trailer is the fast pace background music which the filmmaker perhaps has never attempted before. The other thing that viewers will find in the trailer is a lot of humour which you don’t usually find in a SLB film. Set in the early ’60s, the film has a different vibe from Bhansali’s previous films. The visuals, costumes and the sets are usual are good, dialogues are strong, and everything else is on point.
The lynchpin of this enterprise is Bhatt’s stupendous performance as Gangubai, with the young star once again displaying the maturity and confidence of a veteran on camera. She is as convincing when she is taking the society head on as she is tearing up at the betrayal that she has faced in her life. Bhatt’s greatest triumph is to sink her teeth into her role. Portraying the titular character, she looks at us straight in the eye, dares us to find loopholes in her resolve and see through her panic. Her metamorphosis from being a naive teenager who is sold off to a brothel to becoming the madam and commanding the same brothel is what acting is all about. Bhatt is simply terrific.
The supporting cast is a roll call of strong artists. As Gangubai’s rival, Vijay Raaz, who plays a eunuch, gets a role worthy of his talent. Seema Bhargava Pahwa and Jim Sarbh’s appearance adds enough weightage to the film. But it is Ajay Devgn who has an extended cameo impresses in the fleeting appearance that he has in the trailer. The actor makes a mark and leaves everyone in awe of his towering personality. Devgn is always a treat to watch and this film won’t be an exception either.
Bhansali rightly recreates retro from the ’70s. And this is not just in the low angles of the shots; strange prints on expensive nylon saris and a background score which is peppy and entertaining. It’s most importantly in the sense of the big screen occasion, and a throwback to smart, terse dialogue.
Scheduled to release on February 25, the film is produced by Bhansali Productions and Jayantilal Gada’s Pen India Limited.
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