Alia Bhatt is all set to star in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's next release, Gangubai Kathiawadi, and the release date of the film has been scheduled as September 11, 2020. "This film will have Alia Bhatt play the title role of Gangubai Kathiawadi. First time Bhansali Productions collaborates with Jayantilal Gada's Pen India Limited," an official statement form Bhansali's office said.
Now weeks away from his ambitious film going on floors, a report in a leading daily claims that SLB is on a lookout for a tutor for Alia as the actress will be required to pick up Kathiawadi. For the unversed, Gangubai Kothewali, the fierce madam of Kamathipura brothels in 1960s, had gangsters as clients, and was rumoured to be a drug peddler. "Interestingly, Alia's paternal grandfather Nanabhai Bhatt was a Gujarati Brahmin who hailed from Kathiawad. But Alia is not familiar with the dialect as it is rarely used outside of the pocket in Gujarat. Since the filmmaker is meticulous in his prep, he wants a tutor who is fluent in the dialect. Bhansali has reached out to some of Mumbai's famous Gujarati theatre personalities, including actors Manoj Joshi and Supriya Pathak, to help him in his search. The film will be shot simultaneously as she undertakes the month-long diction class, the daily quoted a trade source as saying.
Apparently, SLB wants to perfect the dialect. "The dialect has a strong Sindh influence as the region was inhabited by the Kathis and Rajputs from present-day Rajasthan and Sindh," added the source. Well, Bhansali and perfection certainly goes hand in hand.
Alia was earlier supposed to work with Bhansali in Inshallah, starring Salman Khan, and the film was meant to be an Eid 2020 release. However, Inshallah got shelved.
(Source: Mid-Day)
