Sanjay Leela Bhansali amazingly creates Alia Bhatt as Gangubai

Lahore, 5th March: Gangubai Khathiawadi is the new protagonist of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film. Donning a white saree and red bindi, Bollywood actress Alia Bhat is beautifully portraying a legend in this movie.

Baaghi TV: India’s famous director-producer and screen-writer, Sanjay Leela Bhansali is once again out to prove his mettle by depicting a brave female character Gangubai Kathiawadi, originally written by Hussain Zaidi in his book ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai’ in 2011.

Who was the real Gangubai Khathiawadi?

Gangubai Kathiawadi, also known as Madam of Kamathipura, owned several brothels back in the 1960s. Born in Kathiawad, Gujarat, Gangubai was originally named Ganga Harjivandas.

She is one of the most powerful women to have ever existed in Mumbai. Reports tell us that Gangubai took very good care of the girls working in her brothel. Having being forced into prostitution herself, she never kept anyone there without consent.

According to some reports, Ganga was fascinated by Bollywood movies and wanted to become an actress. Hailing from a family of lawyers, at the young age of 16, she fell in love with her father’s accountant.

The two eloped and reached Mumbai, the city of her dreams. Who knew that her dream of becoming an actress would be shattered as she was betrayed and her first love sold her in the prostitution market for Rs 500.

With the passage of time, Gangubai became a well-known name in Mumbai and owned several brothels.

Watch the powerful story of a brave woman here:

She made strong connections with the underworld, as they were her clients, and she also had a hold over certain portions of South Mumbai.

How She Became A Mafia Queen?

It is being said that Gangubai’s one of the important connections Karim Lala was a powerful underworld don who operated extortion rackets, liquor and gambling dens in the 1960s to 80s.

As reports go by, once when Gangu was brutally raped by one of Lala’s men, he accepted her as his Rakhi sister. Lala then handed over the reins of Kamathipura to Gangubai and thus she became a Mafia Queen.

Reports also claim that at that time she was the only brothel owner to have a black Bentley. She wore a saree with a gold border and her blouse had buttons made out of gold.

Despite being the owner of several brothels, Gangubai had a soft spot for the girls who were forced into prostitution. She specifically took great care of the girls and orphans too and never forced anybody to be a sex worker.

Reports also tell that Gangubai dedicated her life to the betterment of sex-workers and orphans and worked extensively to improve the living conditions in Kamathipura.

Her advocacy led her to have a strong political status. Her speech on the empowerment of prostitutes and sex-workers had left India’s then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru impressed. He even questioned her why she chose prostitution over finding a husband, to which she asked him if he would marry her.

Alia Bhatt

Gangubai’s story remains very inspirational and Sanjay Leela’s perfect casting will leave the audience spell-bound. Alia Bhatt, 27, will be essaying the role of Gangubai on the silver screen on July 30, 2021.

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