Feb 26, 2022 11:03 PM
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Prostitution is technically illegal but widely practiced in India. By one count prostitution is an$8 billion a year industry with more two million prostitutes and 275, 000 brothels. According to investigative reporter Robert I. Friedman(1996), there are more than 100, 000 female commercial sex workers in Mumbai, which he describes as “Asia’s largest sex bazaar.”
Bollywood since late 50s has touched upon the topic of sex workers and has fairly been successful with great actresses(Vyjanthimala, Mumtaz, Sharmila Tagore, Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Tabu, Manisha Koirala, Kareena Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Vidya Balan to name a few) doing justice to characters effectively. In fact, playing a sex worker on screen has typically been considered as one of the most difficult experiments in a hindi film actress’s career. Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ based on the real-life story of Ganga Harjivandas Kathiwadi, (documented in Hussain Zaidi’s novel Mafia Queens of Mumbai) is the latest addition to the list, with young Alia Bhatt playing the titular role.
The film begins in 1950s where young Ganga(originally hailing from Kathiawad, Gujarat) finds herself landing up in a brothel, run by Sheela Mausi(played by Seema Pahwa) at Kamathipura, Mumbai(then Bombay). Initially perturbed and upset by the ongoings, Ganga(re-christened as Gangu) finally decides to give in but live the new life as per her own terms and conditions. Her strong persona seems to rub off on other colleagues, which kind of changes the outlook of how people look at the business. The story hereon moves along how Gangu encounters different individuals, experiences, challenges and deals with them accordingly.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali typically known for his broad canvas, grandeur and large than life story telling smartly chooses to underplay here. The set designs, costumes and the overall color grading are akin to Bombay retro(including Parsi bakeries and old South Bombay). Unlike his usual style Bhansali ensures not lighting up the screen with bright color palettes, but rather chooses an achromatic scheme(diametrically opposite to the Chandramukhi’s exotic kotha in his Devdas, 2002). In short, the premise doesn’t romanticize or even demean the profession at any point yet conveys the real picture strongly. Kudos to art director Pallab Chanda for doing a great job with the set designs.
Similarly, the sequences with cinematic liberty do not seem forced or shoved into the narrative, but flow seamlessly. Editor Rajesh Pandey deserves credit here. The dialogues are raw, intense and yet impactful. The best part is the much-needed avoidance of un-necessary expletives, sleaze and sexual innuendos which could have otherwise weakened the soul of the film. Kudos to dialogue writers Prakash Kapadia, Utkarshni Vashishta for this feat! The songs by Ankit -Sanchit and Sanjay Leela Bhansali are soulful and run well through the scenes without disturbing the flow.
Performances wise, Vijay Raaz is exceptional as Razia bai. His body language and screen presence, shows his prowess in terms of merging with characters at the snap of a finger. Ajay Devgn(as Rahim Lala) plays his part with elan and ease. Young Shantanu Maheshwari succeeds in bringing in the much-needed softness and relief to the dramatic ongoings . Seema Pahwa surprises in a complex role. Jim Sarbh impresses in his short role as well. Other actors who leave a mark are Indira Tiwari and Chhaya Kadam.
The film undoubtedly belongs to Alia Bhatt, phenomenal as Gangubai. While the caricature-ish portrayal of sex workers has always been a package of loud dressing, unintentionally random laughter and ‘O saahab’, Alia does it differently(rather, intelligently). Sticking to her core strength ‘emoting’ where she is bloody brilliant, all other accessorial requirements get camouflaged. In fact, the real Gangubai was the same age and stature as Alia when she gained popularity in Kamatipura which reinstates why the actress fits the bill. It may not be right to say this is her best till date, but her growth as actor is steady with every film. However, some more light on Gangubai’s co-workers’ lives could have helped in covering equal ground.
On the whole, Gangubai Kathiawadi aptly showcases the human side of the so called ‘badnaam galis’ and raises pertinent questions, requesting the society to re-look at things in fresh perspective for betterment of all.
Overall, a decent film with a noble intent and sincere performances
