‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ Breaks Out At Box Office; Alia Bhatt On Success Of Feminist Crime Drama
deadline.comEXCLUSIVE: Since it opened in late February, Hindi crime drama Gangubai Kathiawadi has been racking up impressive numbers at the international box office and setting pandemic-era records for an Indian title.
Starring Alia Bhatt, the feminist tale based on the true story of a girl from an affluent family sold into prostitution who became a so-called “mafia queen” of Mumbai, is proving a rare breakout for a female-led Bollywood feature.At home, the PEN Studio-backed film has grossed 117.5 crore ($15.4M), making it the biggest title of 2022 locally and the second-biggest of the pandemic.
The well-reviewed pic, directed and co-written by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, has also been particularly strong in the 7 markets where Paramount is releasing, including the UK. (Read Deadline’s review here.)When it released in the UK on February 25, it went on to score the highest opening weekend for an Indian film (all languages) since the pandemic started, coming in ahead of Akshay Kumar-starrer Sooryavanshi and 83 with Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh.
It’s a notable feat given the UK audience for Indian cinema tends to lean towards Bollywood ensembles and male-led casts.Bhatt, whose credits include Gully Boy, Raazi and Highway, next stars in Brahmastra, the first part of a trilogy that kicks off what’s billed as India’s first original cinematic universe.
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