• Alia Bhatt should win Best Actress BAFTA and Oscar for Gangubai Kathiawadi, says Head curator of BFI Robin Baker

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    Alia Bhatt should win Best Actress BAFTA and Oscar for Gangubai Kathiawadi, says Head curator of BFI Robin Baker
    At a time when many Indian regions barely had 50% theatre occupancy and no night shows, the movie brought in Rs 209 crore globally.

    Digital Desk: Almost everyone has applauded Alia Bhatt's performance in Gangubai Kathiawadi. The movie is now in promotion for the forthcoming Academy Awards and the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA). The campaign has gained momentum after Robin Baker, head curator of the prestigious British Film Institute National Archive, stated that the actress is deserving of both medals.

    Taking to his Instagram, Baker shared a bunch of stills from Gangubai Kathiawadi and wrote, “If I was a member of BAFTA or the Academy (I'm not), this year I would be voting for Alia Bhatt as Best Actress for her performance in Gangubai Kathiwadi (Sanjay Leela Bhansali, India, 2022). She plays a prostitute turned underworld brothel madam turned a campaigner for sex workers’ rights, and the joy of her performance is how she grows as her character develops.”



    Alia Bhatt plays a girl sold into the flesh trade in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film Gangubai Kathiawadi, who later becomes a voice for the sex workers in Mumbai's red light district. Baker added, "The film is big, brash, romantic, and enormously enjoyable, but Bhatt is magnificent. The film also delights in making vintage Hindi film references, such as Gangubai's adoration of Dev Anand, moviegoing scenes from the 1950s and 1960s, and the numerous movie posters that line the streets in and around Bombay's red light district." He even urged his supporters to watch the movie. Currently, you can watch it on Netflix in every country. Alia posted Baker's article on Instagram Stories along with several heart emojis.

    The March 2022 release of Gangubai Kathiawadi was also a commercial success. At a time when many Indian regions barely had 50% theatre occupancy and no night shows, the movie brought in Rs 209 crore globally. A rare occurrence in contemporary Hindi cinema, the movie has received praise for being a woman-led blockbuster. The movie is presently campaigning for all categories of the Oscars and BAFTA Awards.