2022 Indian film by Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Gangubai Kathiawadi is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language biographical crime drama film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and produced by Bhansali and Jayantilal Gada. Based on the book Mafia Queens of Mumbai by S. Hussain Zaidi, it tells the story of Gangubai Kathiawadi, a simple girl from Kathiawad who is forced into prostitution and later rises to become a madam and an influential figure in Bombay's red-light area. The film stars Alia Bhatt in the title role, alongside Shantanu Maheshwari, Vijay Raaz, Indira Tiwari, Seema Pahwa, Jim Sarbh and Ajay Devgn.
Gangubai Kathiawadi premiered at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival on 16 February 2022, and was released in theatres on 25 February 2022. It received widespread critical acclaim for its themes, direction, production value and Bhatt's performance. The film grossed ₹153.69 crore (US$18 million) at the domestic box office and ₹209.77 crore (US$25 million) globally, emerging as a commercial success. Numerous publications listed Gangubai Kathiawadi and Bhatt's performance in the film on various year-end best films and performances lists of 2022.
The film has received various accolades. At the 69th National Film Awards, Gangubai Kathiawadi won 5 awards, including Best Actress (Bhatt) and Best Screenplay (Bhansali and Vashishtha). At the 68th Filmfare Awards, the film received a leading 17 nominations and won a leading 11 awards, including Best Film, Best Director (Bhansali), and Best Actress (Bhatt).
Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.