Sanjay
Leela
Bhansali's
upcoming
film
Gangubai
Kathiawadi
starring
Alia
Bhatt
in
leading
role,
has
caught
the
audience's
attention
ever
since
its
announcement.
Earlier,
on
the
director's
birthday
this
year,
the
makers
dropped
the
official
teaser
of
the
film
with
Alia
garnering
praises
from
all
corners
for
her
never-seen
before
avatar.
It
was
also
revealed
that
this
Alia
Bhatt-starrer
will
be
releasing
in
theatres
on
July
30,
2021.
However
now,
with
lockdown
being
imposed
in
many
parts
of
the
country
due
to
the
surge
in
the
COVID-19
cases
and
the
uncertainty
looming
over
when
things
would
return
back
to
normalcy,
there's
a
strong
buzz
that
Gangubai
Kathiawadi
might
find
it
tough
to
make
it
to
theatrical
screens
on
its
scheduled
release
date.
As
per
a
report
in
a
leading
entertainment
portal,
Alia
Bhatt's
Gangubai
Kathiawadi
might
head
for
an
OTT
release.
Speculations
are
rife
that
Sanjay
Leela
Bhansali
has
been
offered
a
hefty
amount
to
release
his
film
on
a
digital
platform.
A
Bollywood
Hungama
report
quoted
a
source
close
to
the
development
as
saying,
"It's
the
way
the
COVID-19
situation
is
going.
Very
soon
there
may
not
be
any
other
option
left
for
Bhansali.
He
is
now
seriously
thinking
of
going
digital
with
Gangubai
Kathiawadi,
the
30th
July
theatrical
release
now
seeming
next
to
impossible."
Earlier,
the
shooting
of
the
film
had
come
to
a
standstill
after
Sanjay
Leela
Bhansali
and
Alia
Bhatt
were
diagnosed
with
COVID-19.
However,
both
of
them
soon
recovered
from
the
virus.
Alia
Bhatt's
Gangubai
Kathiawadi
is
based
on
one
of
the
chapters
from
Hussain
Zaidi's
popular
book
'Mafia
Queens
of
Mumbai'.
Besides
getting
to
watch
Alia
as
a
fiesty
brothel
owner
who
embraced
the
ways
of
her
destiny
and
swung
it
in
her
favour,
fans
are
equally
excited
for
Bhansali's
collaboration
with
Ajay
Devgn
after
their
1999
film
Hum
Dil
Chuke
Sanam.
The
latter
will
be
seen
making
a
special
appearance
and
is
rumoured
to
be
essaying
the
role
of
Karim
Lala
in
the
film.