‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’: Come, and Stay, for Alia Bhatt

Hands come into the screen, putting lipstick haphazardly on a young, crying girl’s lips and eyelids as eyeshadow. They dot her forehead with red and white, ending their ritual by pressing a stud into the girl’s nose, causing fat droplets of blood to drip down. “Now you look beautiful,” the matron says as the camera pans to her and a group of women. “Just open your legs,” another adds.

This is how filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali jolts us into the world of Kamathipura, Bombay’s famed red-light district. Its history goes as far back as the 19th century, if not earlier, when people trafficked women from all over the world, including Europe and eastern Asia, selling them into sex work. The girl being made up is Madhu; her husband has sold her to the brothel matron, and after days of the young girl not cooperating, the matron calls on Gangubai, who is allegedly the only person who can keep people in line.

Watching a Bhansali movie is like settling into your most comfortable sofa. You know what to expect: lyrical songs, lavish sets, haunting cinematography, a strong script based on an adapted story, and some of the best acting Bollywood stars have ever done (we’ll excuse the theatrics of Devdas). What makes Gangubai Kathiawadi a distinct Bhansali offering, however, is its sole superstar: Alia Bhatt, who plays the titular character. Her performance makes us almost forget the film’s shortcomings.