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The acclaimed director's first collaboration
with celebrated actress Alia Bhatt, which premieres at the
Berlin Film Festival on Wednesday, chronicles Gangubai's rise
from vulnerable sex worker to a powerful figure in the city's
red light district.
"I was born and brought up just two lanes away from where she
lived, the brothel where she lived, and I spent a lot of time of
my childhood passing through those areas," he said. "When I read
the book, I was very moved," Bhansali said.
Based on a chapter from S. Hussain Zaidi's book, the film was
beset with difficulties almost from the start.
"We were hit with the pandemic right in the middle of the
shoot," she said. "They had to create like an industrial shed
around the set so that it would not get rained out ... the set
went through two cyclones."
Bhatt, making her third Berlinale appearance, said her
performance was born out of long conversations with Bhansali -
who had a very specific vision for which the star had to deepen
her voice.
"He wanted me to ... get a base in my voice because I have a bit
of a high-pitched tone, especially when I speak with energy and
it sounds a bit childish," Bhatt said. "He wanted weight. He
wanted intensity."
Bhansali is known for his song and dance sequences but in "Gangubai
Kathiawadi" the filmmaker wanted authenticity and performances
that would bring the story forward, said Bhatt. adding it made
the film stand out from his earlier work.
"Gangubai Kathiawadi" will be released in theatres on Feb. 25.
(Editing by Thomas Escritt, Editing by William Maclean)
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