Alia Bhatt Has A Perfect Response For People Who Think She's A Misfit For 'Gangubai Kathiawadi'

As soon as Sanjay Leela Bhansali announced 'Gangubai Kathiawadi,' there was a lot of buzz around the cast. The film headlined by Alia Bhatt drew flak for its inappropriate casting. From calling Alia a misfit and 'too young to play the part, SLB's film triggered debates.

The actress, who will turn 29 in March this year, is geared up for the movie's release.

Instagram/Alia Bhatt

After the trailer of Gangubai was unveiled, people had divided opinions on whether Alia was the right actor to play the lead.

Instagram/Alia Bhatt

Alia finally chose to address the criticism and judgment that she faced along the way.

Instagram/Alia Bhatt

She admitted not just the audience, but even her friends and close ones felt that she might appear a little too young for the part.

Alia Bhatt/Instagram

But clarifying her role and character, Alia said 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.

Alia cleared the air and said the movie revolves around the brothel madam¡¯s younger days.

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In an interview with RJ Siddharth Kannan, Alia said,

Instagram/Alia Bhatt

¡°Firstly, she¡¯s not old. She is 30 so take the thought out that I am playing an older 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 one of the facts that she became a caretaker of a brothel at a very young age. 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."

Alia said a lot had been said about her 'baby face', but she said it would keep the surprise element for the audience who will have time to change the perception after they watch the movie.

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She added, ¡°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."

Alia added,

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¡°My 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.'"

Alia's debut collaboration with filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali is 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' is based on the biography of Gangubai Kothewali, a young girl sold into prostitution by her suitor Ramnik Lal.

The movie has been adapted from a portion of Hussain Zaidi's book Mafia Queens of Mumbai.

Gangubai Trailer

Apart from Alia, the film has a stellar supporting cast, including Ajay Devgn, who appears in a prolonged cameo, and Vijay Raaz, Seema Bhargava Pahwa, and Jim Sarbh. The film will hit the theatres on February 25th.

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