How Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Alia Bhatt saved a faltering Bollywood with Gangubai Kathiawadi

2022 has been a tough year for Bollywood. Many films like Laal Singh Chaddha and Raksha Bandhan became the target of the #BoycottBollywood trend and failed terribly at the box office. Others like Shamshera and Dhaakad couldn’t attract the audience for various reasons, ranging from plot to storytelling.

In the middle of it, all released Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film Gangubai Kathiawadi. It starred Alia Bhatt as a sex worker turned mafia queen, who later takes on the role of a social warrior fighting for the legalisation of prostitution and the basic legal rights of sex workers. The film opened to a tremendous response and managed to bring the audience back to the theatres when other Bollywood films were suffering after a Covid-19-induced lull.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali took a risk and released his film on February 25, a time when people were hesitant in going to theatres due to the pandemic. Surprisingly, Gangubai Kathiawadi earned Rs 10.50 on its first day, a healthy number given the circumstances. Despite the fact that theatres in Mumbai and Delhi were limited to only 50% occupancy and there were no night shows in the Delhi circuit, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film managed to perform very well. Good word of mouth also played a big role in drawing the audience to the theatres. Eventually, Gangubai earned over Rs 200 crore at the box office but its impact goes beyond the numbers.

At the time when the film was released, everyone was talking about Gangubai Kathiawadi. Netizens were making reels on Alia Bhatt’s song Dholida and #gangubaikathiawadi was trending on social media. Fans were seen imitating Alia Bhatt’s dialogues in countless viral reels.

Before the film’s release, no one was sure if a female-led film would succeed at the box office. But, Alia Bhatt managed to do that. And it wasn't just the commerce. The film was praised on its artistic merits as well. Be it Alia's body language, voice, dialogue delivery or her expressions, the conviction with which Alia soaked every bit of Gangubai made her stand out. Not only her fans but also Bollywood stars including Amitabh Bachchan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Janhvi Kapoor praised the actress and called Alia the 'definition of brilliance.’

The film was even celebrated overseas. Pakistani actor Muneeb Butt booked an entire theatre to watch Alia Bhatt's film with his wife. Recently in November, the models of Malaysia's Northern Haute Couture Fashion Show recreated Gangubai's look. In Thailand, the film was a cultural phenomenon, with women copying Alia on TikTok and Instagram for months after the film's release.

There have been bigger films from India this year, more critically-acclaimed as well, and RRR has had a bigger cultural impact overseas. But Gangubai managed all this at time when Bollywood and Indian cinema needed it the most to get back on its feet. Without a doubt, Gangubai Kathiawadi is one of the most celebrated and important films of 2022.

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