Kiara Advani wishes she was part of Gangubai Kathiawadi: ‘I couldn’t blink…’

Kiara Advani has said she couldn’t keep her eyes off screen while watching Alia Bhatt-starrer Gangubai Kathiawadi.

She has expressed her wish to be part of a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film. The actor is currently awaiting the release of her film Govinda Naam Mera.

Sanjay is currently busy with the BAFTA Awards campaign for Gangubai Kathiawadi. The film is being submitted for BAFTA members’ consideration in all categories including Best Film, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Leading Actress and Film Not in the English Language.

Kiara was asked about her favourite film of 2022 which she wished to be a part of. “I couldn’t blink while watching that film. I thought Alia was phenomenal in the film. I think what Sanjay sir does, the way he brings it out of his artistes is… I wish I had been a part of something like that,” she told Film Companion in an interview.

Kiara was spotted at Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s office in September this year, leading to rumours that the actor might feature in his next.

Gangubai Kathiawadi starred Alia in the titular role and also had Ajay Devgn, Shantanu Maheshwari, Vijay Raaz and Seema Pahwa among the ensemble cast. It is one of the few Bollywood films which entered the ₹100 crore club this year.

It revolves around a girl sold by a suitor into prostitution and how she goes on to become a prominent figure in the Kamathipura, the red-light area.

During a chat with Sanjay on the YouTube channel of Pen Movies, Alia had said, “I discovered that Gangubai is my alter ego. Or, I don’t know whether I have lived with the character so deeply, that now she comes out in moments which I can’t control and people are like, ‘okay, this is not Alia, this is Gangubai.’ So, that’s never happened to me with any character.”

Sanjay Leela Bhansali launched the BAFTA campaign for the film by speaking at a special, BAFTA Masterclass at British Cinema last month. The full house event took place at BAFTA’s Princess Anne Theatre, hosted by Rachel Dwyer, British author and former professor of Indian Cultures and Cinema at SOAS, University of London.

He has become the first Indian artist invited to speak at the world’s highest-ranked fashion and art school. He also attended a red carpet screening of Gangubai Kathiawadi at The Prince Charles Cinema on November 30.