Aditya Narayan revealed that Rani Mukerji was Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s original choice for Gangubai Kathiawadi, not Alia Bhatt.
When Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi hit the big screens in 2022, Alia Bhatt’s transformation into the fierce, white-saree-clad matriarch of Kamathipura was lauded by the audiences and the critics alike. Her performance-equal parts defiant and vulnerable- showcased a new side of her as an actress.
However, in a recent interview with Bharti TV, actor-singer Aditya Narayan who once assisted Bhansali, shared that Alia wasn’t the first choice for this film. He revealed that the ace filmmaker had originally envisioned this role for Rani Mukerji.
Aditya Narayan shared that after the failure of his Shaapit, he found himself without work and decided to explore something new. Having always been interested in music and music videos, he felt drawn to filmmaking.
It was Sonu Nigam, his fellow judge on X Factor India, who suggested that he consider assisting Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Aditya found the idea appealing and approached the filmmaker with the request. The Devdas director reportedly smiled, assuming Aditya would quit within five days, but invited him to his office nonetheless. During the first week, Bhansali didn’t assign him any tasks, believing he would give up soon. However, once Aditya persisted, Bhansali gradually began involving him in work.
Aditya revealed, “At that time, he had two scripts with him: Ram-Leela and Gangubai Kathiawadi. I think he was considering making Gangubai Kathiawadi with Rani Mukerji in the lead at that time. He gave all of us the two scripts and asked which one was better. I also like Ram-Leela more.”
Reportedly, after Rani Mukerji, Bhansali had also approached Priyanka Chopra for this role. However, the actress couldn’t take it up since she was running on a tight schedule while pursuing her career in Hollywood. Eventually, Sanjay Leela Bhansali finalized Alia Bhatt as the female lead for Gangubai Kathiawadi. The role earned her a National Award for Best Actress, further cementing its impact on her career.
Based on the book ‘Mafia Queens Of Mumbai’ by Hussain Zaidi, Gangubai Kathiawadi follows the journey of a young woman who is sold into a brothel and rises to become a powerful voice for sex workers’ rights in Mumbai’s Kamathipura.
