Sunshine with sadness

ACTRESS Alia Bhatt released her newest film, Gangubai Kathiawadi, on Friday. Bhatt described her character, Gangubai, as sunshine but with sadness.

The film tells the tale of a young girl named Ganga, who becomes Gangubai, a madame in the red-light area of Kamathipura.

It is loosely based on the true story of Gangubai Harjivandas, popularly known as Gangubai Kothewali. Her life was documented in the book, Mafia Queens of Mumbai, by S Hussain Zaidi.

Bhatt said it was emotionally draining to play the real-life character, who was sold by her suitor to a brothel.

“There is a constant anger in her eyes that comes with what happened to her and the situation she was put in.

“I remember whenever we used to play out scenes and there would always be that layer that sir (director Sanjay Leela Bansali) would ask me to bring in the character.

“And maybe I didn’t understand it while I was doing it, but when I saw the film in a flow, I understood what he was trying to do and that was something that all added up.

“That was one of her biggest sensitive points – that what happened to her was not fair and which world she had to enter is not fair but the beauty is what she does with that anger, how she turns it around.”

Bhatt described Gangubai as a mix of sunshine and sadness: “She is sunshine but there is sadness in her that is emotionally draining, to do what she did.

“Her picture was on every girl’s wall in Kamathipura for 50 years. That was the impact she had on women. So (to) put yourself out for other people and not really be there for yourself, that is another weight to carry.

“Even when I was dancing, walking or laughing, Sanjay sir said ‘weight’. Weight doesn’t mean physical weight. It means in the heart and head, and that’s what translates hopefully on screen.”

Bhatt, who has performed in films such as Highway, Raazi and Udta Punjab among others, said she gave her all while portraying a character. |