Gangubai Kathiawadi: Who is Alia Bhatt portraying in the film?

The official Twitter account of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s production house has confirmed that Alia Bhatt will be playing the role of Gangubai in the upcoming movie Gangubai Kathiawadi. The movie is slated to release next year during Eid. The Raazi actor also took to her social media account to announce the news. She stated that the movie is a special one for her. The movie is a biopic of the ‘Madam of Kamathipura’, Gangubai Kothewali. Here’s what you need to know about her.

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Who was Gangubai?

The Sanjay Leela Bhansali directed movie- Gangubai Kathiawadi revolves around the life of Gangubai Kothewali. According to the book Queens of Mumbai written by ace journalist Hussain Zaidi, Gangubai Kothewali is considered to be the matriarch of Kamathipura in Mumbai. She was a powerful woman in the 60s. She was a brothel owner who also peddled drugs and gave orders for murders. She was also known as the 'Madam of Kamathipura' for her connections with the underworld. She was forced into prostitution by her boyfriend at a very young age and she thus had a soft spot for other women who had to go through the same fate. She cared for such girls and took care of them like a mother. Many walls in Kamathipura still have her pictures hung on the wall.

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Gangubai, back in the days, was one of the most influential pimps in the city and had many well-known clients. Reportedly, her clients usually had strong connections with the underworld. It is reported that she was a guardian of the dons. She would give them shelter and also provided guidance whenever needed.  Although she lived in the slums of Kamathipura, she was reportedly rich enough to buy an expensive car for herself. According to some reports, the 'Madam of Kamathipura' was the only brothel owner in 60s to own a black Bentley.

Gangubai ruled over several brothels of Kamathipura in Mumbai. She is known for the efforts she took to improve the living conditions in Kamathipura. It is rumoured that she even met Jawahar Lal Nehru and spoke to him about the problems of the sex workers. Gangubai is one of the most remembered women in the history of Mumbai.

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