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Gangubai Kathiawadi: Alia Bhatt's Film Is Inspired By This Famous Brothel Madam; Read Her Story
The much-anticipated teaser of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming film Gangubai Kathiawadi which stars Alia Bhatt in the lead role, was unveiled on the filmmaker's birthday on February 25, 2021. While praises poured in for the Bhansali-esque world which captured the life of the sex workers in Kamathipura in the 1960s Bombay, fans couldn't stop gushing over Alia Bhatt's fiesty avatar as the mafia queen Gangubai, who bows neither to pimp nor to politician.
Alia Bhatt's Gangubai Kathiawadi is based on one of the chapters from Hussain Zaidi's book 'Mafia Queens of Mumbai' which talks about Gangubai Kothewali. If you google search this name, you will find pictures of a woman in a crisp white saree with a rupee-sized red bindi on her forehead. Well, Gangubai Kothewali who is known to be one of the undisputed queens of Kamathipura, owned several brothels there.
Before you watch Alia Bhatt play this legendary brothel madam on screen, here's all you need to know about the real-life Gangubai Kathiawadi.
Born as Gangubai Harjivandas in Kathiawad, Gujarat, she hailed from a family of lawyers. However, a young Gangu harboured dreams of becoming an actress. At the age of 16, she eloped with her lover Ramnik Lal who worked as her father's accountant and landed in Mumbai, the city of dreams. However, her whole world came crashing down when her lover sold her off in Kamathipura for a sum of Rs. 500.
After weeks of crying and realizing that she had no other place to go, Gangu decided to stay back. Soon, she became one of the prized prostitutes of Kamathipura who had a knack of making her rich clients relent.
According to Hussain Zaidi's book, Gangubai had liaisons with some of the most powerful gangsters in Mumbai, and operated many brothels in the red light area. It is said that when a member of mafia don Karim Lala's gang brutally violated Gangubai, she decided to take matters into her own hands and accosted the dreaded don himself, after Friday prayers. Karim Lala mercilessly beat up her tormentor, and warned everyone against ill-treating his 'rakhi sister.'
Post this incident, Gangubai's rise to the top was meteoric as she developed contacts with police and other key people with power, and became one of the mafia queens.
It is said that Gangubai never kept any girls in her brothel against their consent. She wielded immense power and was rich enough to be the only brothel madam in the 60s to own a black Bentley car. (The teaser of Alia Bhatt's Gangubai Kathiawadi gave a sneak-peek of this.)
In the latter part of her life, Gangubai became an advocate of rights of women who were sold into prostitution. Jawaharlal Nehru who once heard one of her speeches, was impressed by her wit and even approved of her proposal to protect red light areas. Reportedly, Gangubai's photos still adore the walls of Kamathipura. She is one of the women to have her statue bust erected in that area.
Well, it would be interesting to watch Alia Bhatt play this powerful woman who embraced the ways of her destiny and swung it in her favour. Gangubai Kathiawadi is slated to hit the theatrical screens on July 30, 2021.
