Alia Bhatt in Gangubai Kathiawadi. (courtesy: YouTube)
It would not be wrong to say that 2022 has been Alia Bhatt's year. The actress has been on a professional and personal high, with blockbusters films, marriage, and motherhood milestones, over the past 12 months. It looks like the dream run is going to continue unabated. Now, Alia's titular role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi has been named the Performance Of The Year by the celebrated British film magazine Screen Daily. In an article about the best films in 2022, critic Wendy Ide described Alia's performance as electrifying. Sharing a screenshot of the review and a link to the article on her Instagram Stories, Alia wrote, “Thank you,” with a white heart emoji.
Screenshot of Alia Bhatt's Instagram story.
In her column, Wendy Ide has described Alia Bhatt's character to be “complex, flawed and charismatic,” adding that “she (Ali Bhatt) is electrifying.” In particular, Wendy Ide has noted a dance sequence and the scene where Alia takes on the mantle of the leader of Kamathipura as "standout moments".
Gangubai Kathiawadi is Alia Bhatt's first collaboration with filmmaker-composer Sanjay Leela Bhansali. In addition to being a box-office success, the film also received positive reviews from critics around the world. Ahead of the film's release, Sanjay Leela Bhansali praised Alia for her inspired performance in the film. Answering some fan questions in a pre-release interview, Sanjay Leela Bhansali said, “This film matters to Indian cinema because here was a performance that I think will be celebrated for the next 50-100 years. It could be at par with Nargis Ji in Mother India, at par with Seema Biswas in Bandit Queen, and Meena Kumari in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. This is the fourth performance I would talk of in the same league. So, this film mattered. Here is a girl who is taking a whole film on her shoulder."
Gangubai Kathiawadi is based on the life of the eponymous mafia queen as covered in one of the chapters of Hussain Zaidi's book Mafia Queens of Mumbai. The film also features Ajay Devgn, Shantanu Maheshwari, and Vijay Raaz in important roles.
On the work front, Alia Bhatt will be seen in Karan Johar's Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani with Ranveer Singh.