Alia Bhatt-Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi: 10 Things You Must Know About Kamathipura Matriarch

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is back and this time with multi-talented actress Alia Bhatt. Recently a teaser for ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ dropped and people all over social media were all praises. The film will see Alia in the lead role and also there were rumors of Ajay Devgn playing a side but important role.

This was just a teaser and people already started praising Bhansali and Bhatt. The anticipation is high as also people are curious as to who the ‘Kamathipura Matriarch’ was. Kathiawadi was one of the most famous and respectable sex workers of her time.

As many are curious, let us take you through some of the facts about the film and Kamathipura Matriarch, Gangubai Kathiawadi.

1. Alia Bhatt plays the role of Gangubai Kathiawadi, who was one of the most famous and respectable sex workers of her time.

2. The film is set in the 1960s and is based on the influential and contentious figure of that time, Gangubai Kathiawadi.

3. It is based on a chapter from the book authored by S Hussain Zaidi and Jane Borges titled, ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai.’ The chapter’s name is ‘Matriarch of Kamathipura.’

4. Kathiawadi’s real name was Ganga Harjeevandas. She was a native of Kathiawad in Gujarat born in the 1940s.

5. Gangubai Kathiawadi was a well-known brothel owner. She had made a name for herself in the Kamathipura red light area of Mumbai.

6. Gangubai was betrayed by her lover-husband as he sold her to a brothel in Mumbai. She ran away from her house to marry him only for the guy to later cheat her.

7. She went on to become one of the most popular, respected, high paid and well-known sex workers of her time.

8. Gangubai ran her own brothels and many would join because of her. Woman respected her as Gangubai never forced any woman into anything.

9. According to the book by Zaidi and Borges, Gangubai even got to meet the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

10. She had high connections with politicians and also underworld mafias/dons. It was said that Gangubai also had connections with mafia don Karim Lala.

Gangubai Kathiawadi will release in theatres on July 30, 2021.