Gangubai was in love with her father’s accountant, Ramnik. She wanted to work in Bollywood.
Gangubai came to Mumbai after marrying her lover Ramnik, but Ramnik sold her to a Kamathipura’s brothel.
Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt’s upcoming film Gangubai Kathiawadi is all set for theatrical release on February 25, 20222. There is a tremendous buzz among the audience for the Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial. In the upcoming movie, Alia Bhatt will be seen playing the character of legendary brothel owner Gangubai Kathiawadi. She will be seen in the shoes of a ‘Mafia Queen’ and ‘Lady Don’ for the first time. Actor Ajay Devgan will be seen in the role of Karim Lala in the film.
The real-life story of Gangubai revolved around love, betrayal, succession, and politics in brothels. Her life throws light on the courtesans and the hidden cultural reality of brothels.
Gangubai was in love with her father’s accountant, Ramnik. She wanted to work in Bollywood. She came to Mumbai after marrying Ramnik, but Ramnik sold her in Kamathipura’s brothel for Rs 500. S Hussain Zaidi in his book wrote that Gangubai was raped by a member of Karim Lala’s gang, and she went to him and pleaded him for justice. She tied a rakhi to Karim Lala and made him her brother as well. Karim gave the command of the Kamathipura area to Gangubai and she became one of the ‘Mafia Queens.’ She never kept a girl in the brothel against her consent and dedicated her life to the betterment of sex workers and orphans.
It was also shown in the trailer of the film that she led the movement against the removal of Mumbai’s prostitution market in Kamathipura, Mumbai.
Gangubai Kathiawadi is a biographical crime film based on a chapter of Hussain Zaidi’s book Mafia Queens of Mumbai about Gangubai Kothewali, the madam of a brothel in Kamathipura. The film stars Alia Bhatt as Gangubai, while Shantanu Maheshwari, Vijay Raaz, Indira Tiwari and Seema Pahwa play supporting roles, with special cameos by Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi and Huma Qureshi.
