All about 'Matriarch of Kamathipura' Gangubai Kathiawadi, the woman who Alia Bhatt plays in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film
'Gangubai Kathiawadi' also stars Ajay Devgn in a pivotal role and marks his first outing with Alia Bhatt.
It's just been a few days since the teaser for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directorial Gangubai Kathiawadi dropped on the Internet. The film stars Alia Bhatt in the titular role and the actor has left an impressive mark on everyone. The Internet is flooded with words of appreciation for the 'captain of the ship' SLB as well as Alia for being a talented artist. Since the announcement or rather the teaser release, people have been searching about who was the actual Gangubai Kathiawadi.
For the uninitiated, the film is based on one of the chapters titled 'Matriarch of Kamathipura' from S Hussain Zaidi and Jane Borges book Mafia Queens of Mumbai.
In the book the writers gave a glimpse of Gangubai's character by penning, "Apart from owning several brothels, she also had an immense influence on the women who worked in them."
They also claimed that she wouldn't force any woman to join the brothel without their consent. The excerpt read as "If their cases were genuine, Gangubai allowed them to leave; if not, she ensured that their escape was improbable."
Read on to know more about Gangubai Kathiawadi...
Gangubai Kathiawadi was a famous brothel owner in the Kamathipura red light area of Mumbai, a few decades back.
The film Gangubai Kathiawadi is based on S Hussain Zaidi and Jane Borges book Mafia Queens of Mumbai. Her life is one of the chapters titled The Matriarch of Kamathipura.
According to the book, Gangubai Kathiawadi was sold to a brothel by her lover after they eloped from Gujarat. She then went on to become 'one of the most sought-after and well-paid commercial sex workers in Kamathipura'.
S Hussain Zaid and Jane Borges claimed in their book that "Her political connections apparently also won her an appointment with the then prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, at his residence in New Delhi."
They further wrote, "Once again, Gangubai made history by becoming the only local brothel madam to secure an appointment with the head of the country."
It's confirmed that Ajay Devgn will kickstart shooting for Gangubai Kathiawadi, marking his reunion with Sanjay Leela Bhansali after two decades. Reported as an impactful role, Ajay's name and the character description have not been disclosed by the makers.