When the first look of Gangubai Kathiawadi was released, several social media users felt that Alia Bhatt was too young to play the role. The actress, who will turn 29 in March this year, managed to change a few perceptions after the Gangubai Kathiawadi trailer was released. However, a few continue to hold the opinion that Alia might be too young for the role.
Alia Bhatt has now addressed these qualms in a recent interview. She said that not only a section of the audience but her friends and close ones felt that she might appear a little too young for the part. However, Alia explained that the perceptions might have been set due to a picture of Gangubai Kothewali, based on whom the film is being made, showing the madam of a brothel in her old age. The Gangubai Kathiawadi actress clarified that the movie revolves around the brothel madam’s younger days.
“Firstly, she’s not old. She is 30 so take the thought out that I am playing an old woman. The thing is we don’t have much information on Gangubai. The one picture we got of her, in black and white, she’s old. So there’s a feeling that ‘Oh, she’s Gangubai and Alia’s wrong.’ Obviously, in that context, I am wrong (for the role). But it’s not character. Gangubai became powerful very young in her life. That was actually one of the facts that at a very young age, she became a caretaker of a brothel. Things in her life happened very fast, at a very young age. We had to show a transition from the age of 16-17 to the age she’s shown in the film, which is 31-32,” she said, in an interview with RJ Siddharth Kannan.
She added that people might be referring to her baby-like face as young which is soft, cute and other ‘irritating adjectives’ hence making her not the ideal choice of the movie. “It’s not something that I disagree with at all that in terms of perception, you won’t think (that Alia fits the bill). But that’s the fun that you won’t imagine that anyone can do this,” she added.
Alia added, “My own friends and people were like ‘Oh you’re too young’ or ‘you’re looking young (for the part)’. I was like ‘okay, if that’s what you feel but watch the film and then see.’ When they watched the trailer, everybody was like ‘oh you’re not looking young, it’s working.'”
Gangubai Kathiawadi is Alia’s first film with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Based on the life of Gangubai Kothewali, a young girl sold into prostitution by her suitor Ramnik Lal, and adapted from a chapter of Hussain Zaidi’s book Mafia Queens of Mumbai, the film will take us through the journey of the central character portrayed by Alia. The film also stars Ajay Devgn in an extended cameo, Vijay Raaz, Seema Bhargava Pahwa and Jim Sarbh. The film is set to release on February 25.
