Alia Bhatt on 'Gangubai Kathiawadi': "So much money is involved, expectations are so huge"

Alia Bhatt as Gangubai Kathiawadi in the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film. (Screengrab from video uploaded on YouTube by Pen Movies)

Gangubai Kathiawadi is finally releasing in theatre, two and a half years after it was announced.

The film had hit a rough patch when creative difference cropped up between the film's lead actor Salman Khan and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. For a while it looked the film would be scrapped, and Alia Bhatt's dream to work with the filmmaker would go on hold. However, it was soon announced that Gangubai Kathiawadi would go on with Alia Bhatt being the only lead protagonist.

Now that the film's promo is out, expectations from the actress-director 'jodi' are high.

Alia Bhatt on working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali and expectations from Gangubai Kathiawadi

In the film, Bhatt plays a sex worker-turned-politician who works towards the upliftment of other girls around her. "So many thought that Gangubai Kathiawadi would be this heavy serious film about this prostitute who goes through various phases in her life. However, the promo shows that there are going to be easy and light hearted moments as well. Gangubai is a character in her own (right) and I had to go through a transformation, too, to play her on screen. She has a very exciting life, and I have tried to navigate through drama, emotion, fun, wit, everything," Bhatt says.

Bhatt's Gangubai also speaks in a way that is anchored in her time and position, resulting sometimes in memorable - if bizarre - turns of phrase. "I have got so many reactions for my 'China' dialogue. We had a blast when we were shooting that scene. Sanjay sir used to tell me that this one is for the gentry who sit at the front stall. His vision for the film has always been very front foot and that's the whole excitement. I haven't done anything like this ever," says Bhatt.

"What I admire about Sanjay sir is that he wants to surprise you each time around," says Bhatt.

Made on a budget in excess of Rs 100 crore, Alia Bhatt says Gangubai Kathiawadi has "the kind of scale, drama, set-up that makes for big-screen entertainment. However, there is so much in there for hardcore single screen audiences as well."

Though there were tempting offers for producers Bhansali and Jayantilal Gada (of Pen Movies) to bring the film straight on OTT, they held on to it for a good part of 2021 so that they choose the right release date and bring it first on the big screen.

"Yes, it has been a very long wait," sighs Bhatt. "People think that film life is very glamorous and we are just sitting on our own cloud. However, trust me, there is lot of pressure. So much money is involved, expectations are so huge, a lot of time and effort goes into making a film. You know, it's not an easy thing to do; it's a very expensive thing. I do hope... that audiences come to theatres."

When the second wave had subsided, it was Akshay Kumar's Sooryavanshi that had brought audiences back in theatres. Now that the third wave is settling down, it's Alia Bhatt's Gangubai Kathiawadi that is expected to repeat the trick.

"Well, I hope, I hope," says Bhatt. "There is always a right time for the right release and I am glad it's all fitting in there. We have a rather clear-ish run and nothing is coming around it. We have got a lot of support from theatre chains like PVR, Cinepolis, INOX, etc. They are supporting a campaign on bringing people back to theatres. After all, big screen experience is altogether different. The promo has hit the correct note, so fingers-crossed. The only thing that we can do is hope for people to come back now."