Since the time of its announcement, there has been a lot of buzz around Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s next film Gangubai Kathiawadi. While Alia Bhatt will be playing the titular role of the madam of brothel in Kamathipura, it has been recently reported that Ajay Devgan has also been roped in for the film.
According to report on Bollywood Hungama, the actor will be essaying the role of one of her gangsters who played crucial role in her meteoric rise and fell in love with her. Ajay liked his role in the film and will announce the news on an “auspicious” date.
The report quoted a source, “Last week, Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Leela Bhansali met at Anand Pandit’s Diwali party and chatted for hours. They caught up on a lot of stuff and that’s when SLB also invited him over to his office. Ajay dropped in a couple of days after that and they had meeting for more than a couple of hours. Bhansali offered him two scripts – a biopic and the other fictional, a love story, which is said to be Baiju Bawra. In Baiju Bawra the actor was offered the role of Tansen. Ajay liked his role in Gangubai as it’s an intense character – a mobster with a golden heart who teaches Gangubai the tricks of the trade and falls in love with her.”
The source added, “Ajay didn’t sign right then as he wants to do the signing and make the announcement at an auspicious date, which will be this week. The star showed the famous filmmaker some scenes his next project, a historical action drama, Tanhaji and Bhansali who himself excels in such period dramas was quite impressed. Apart from both these movies, the filmmaker also offered him another action drama based on a warrior film, which will be directed by SLB, at a later date. Ajay’s role in Gangubai is an extremely powerful and passionate one and will be remembered in cinema for the depth and romance in it.”
Gangubai Kathiawadi hailed from the underworld and was a brothel owner in Kamthipura. Sold into prostitution by her husband, Gangubai refused to bow down and became a force to reckon with. The story of the film is said to be loosely adapted from one of the chapters of Hussain Zaidi’s “Mafia Queens Of Mumbai”. The film is slated to release in September next year.