Sanjay Leela Bhansali says people told him not to make Gangubai Kathiawadi: ‘Have ticked all the wrong boxes’

On Saturday, Sanjay Leela Bhansali revealed the solid and first look of his upcoming Netflix sequence Heeramandi, his most bold mission but. The filmmaker was in dialog with the Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos about their upcoming collaboration. But he additionally spoke about his final movie, Gangubai Kathiawadi, which grew to become a blockbuster hit final 12 months. He revealed that he had been suggested by everybody to not make it as it could not attraction to audiences. (Also learn: Heeramandi teaser: Sonakshi Sinha, Manisha Koirala, Aditi Rao Hydari are courtesans in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s present)

Gangubai Kathiawadi, starring Alia Bhatt because the lead character, featured the actor as a younger girl from Gujarat who’s bought into prostitution within the Kamathipura crimson gentle district of Mumbai. Eventually, she rises to change into the brothel madam and represents the district to guard the rights of the opposite prostitutes. The movie additionally starred Ajay Devgn, Shantanu Maheshwari, Vijay Raaz, Indira Tiwari, Seema Pahwa and Jim Sarbh.

The filmmaker, who was on a panel with Sarandos, stated, “People told me not to make Gangubai. It’s a female-centric film, it’s a female protagonist. In India, they do not got a female-[led] subject. The box office has never worked. She’s playing a sex worker and then there’s no hero. All the tick marks you would put to understand the audience and the scenario, I have ticked all the wrong boxes. But it worked. That’s the belief.”

The movie was introduced in 2019 and finally obtained delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ajay, who had labored with Sanjay, earlier had a particular look within the movie as gangster Rahim Lala.

After premiering on the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival, Gangubai Kathiawadi was launched in theatres on February 25, 2022. Alia’s efficiency was lauded by each followers and critics and the movie earned over ₹150 crore on the home field workplace. Sanjay additionally composed the rating of Gangubai Kathiawadi; songs like Meri Jaan and Dholida have been praised for the music and likewise their choreography.

Meanwhile, the interval drama Heeramandi stars Sonakshi Sinha, Manisha Koirala, Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanjeeda Shaikh and Sharmin Segal. Set in Lahore, the sequence adopted the lives of the courtesans of that period. The sequence is because of be out on the streaming platform someday this 12 months.