Gangubai Kathiawadi
2022 · Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Original language: Hindi
- crime
- drama
The story
Duped and sold to a brothel, a young woman fearlessly reclaims her power, using underworld connections to preside over the world she was once a pawn in.
What it’s like
Saturated jewel tones and lamplit gold dominate this film, with sweeping, deliberately theatrical camera moves through crowded lanes, stairwells and gilded rooms that feel built for the screen as much as lived in. Costumes in deep reds, emerald and silk white catch the light, and the mood swings between candlelit intimacy and bursts of street colour and noise. Set in Mumbai's red-light district, it follows a young woman who rises from betrayal to command, and its arc is one of defiant self-possession. Songs punctuate the drama and the score is lush, percussive and full. The pace is operatic, rising and falling in long emotional swells. Violence is present and sometimes sudden, including a rape and a brief, sharp shooting, but it is not drawn out or gory. Sexual content is suggestive rather than explicit. This suits viewers who want big, unapologetic melodrama, a strong heroine and visual spectacle on a weekend evening.
More films like Gangubai Kathiawadi
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved Gangubai Kathiawadiand we’ll explain which ones fit you.
