Gangubai Kathiawadi


Gangubai Kathiawadi is an upcoming Indian Hindi-language biographical crime film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, written by Utkarshini Vashishtha and produced by Bhansali and Jayantilal Gada under their respective banners Bhansali Productions and Pen Media Limited. The film stars Alia Bhatt in the title role, and is based on a chapter of Hussain Zaidi's book Mafia Queens of Mumbai about Gangubai Kothewali, the madam of a brothel in Kamathipura. Principal photography started on 27 December 2019 in Mumbai. The film was scheduled for theatrical release on 11 September 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

Premise

The film is about the life of Gangubai Kathiawadi, a young girl sold into prostitution by her boyfriend Ramnik Lal, and how she becomes the madam of a brothel in Kamathipura.

Cast

The news about an adaptation of one of the chapters of Hussain Zaidi's book Mafia Queens of Mumbai first came out in June 2017 with Priyanka Chopra attached to star as the leading character. The film's earlier title was Heera Mandi. In March 2019, Chopra confirmed that she was working on a project with Bhansali, who also confirmed that he was making Gangubai Kathiawadi with Chopra. However, in September 2019, media reported that Alia Bhatt, who was supposed to do a different film, titled Inshallah, with Bhansali was going to replace Chopra after Inshallah got shelved.