Gangubai Kathiawadi- I am sure none of us had heard the name of this lion-hearted Bombay Mafia Queen before the eponymous movie was made. The more I research her, the more surprised I get because of her journey. She hailed from a reputed family but was betrayed by her lover who sold her to a brothel head for just 1000 rupees. The movie traces the journey of Ganga becoming Gangu and how she single-handedly changes the fate of 4000 sex workers of the Kamathipura area in Mumbai. It is quite an extraordinary journey for the woman who initiates the process of legalizing the business of prostitution and providing education to their children. She also overcomes all odds and establishes herself as a political leader sacrificing all for the greater good. The master filmmaker who uses his mother's name in the middle of his name Sanjay Leela Bhansali handles the script with sensitivity as his hallmark and shows us that a director adept at his craft can make any actor come alive on screen. Though I kept thinking that Vidya Balan would have done a wonderful job I could not stop myself from rooting for Alia for her masterful performance. The extraordinary journey of an ordinary woman ending up in the red light district of Mumbai and then rising to the heights of becoming an influential individual in the Mumbai underbelly has been brought to the fore beautifully by the petite Alia Bhatt. she has once again proven her mettle. The movie boasts of aesthetically shot song and dance set pieces characteristic of a Bhansali movie. The presence of Ajay Devgn renders a depth to the film which only an actor of his caliber can add to a magnum opus like this one. Bollywood is finally coming of age and making movies on female protagonists with a lot of conviction. It is heartening to see that the industry is recognizing the potency of the female talent pool in giving a box office hit.
While I enjoyed watching every bit of Gangubai going through the entire gamut of emotions, I appreciated the effort put in by Ayushmann Khurrana in Doctor G which is a wonderful treat. The actor seldom chooses the wrong scripts and this time he impressed with his choice. He gives a heartfelt performance as a male gynecologist losing his 'male touch' through the runtime of the movie. Along with him, Shefali Shah as the dean of the Gynacological department of the hospital he works in packs in a powerful performance. A lot of questions have been raised regarding the perception of male gynecologists in our country. The apprehension of female patients to visit a male gynecologist has been portrayed with a lot of honesty. Also, the film brushes on the concept of female bonding and also on the general concept of friends. Doctor G has a fresh treatment and a sensitivity to it which saves it from becoming a male-bashing preachy movie. The earnest effort put in by the director, scriptwriter, and actors makes it a refreshing watch with a light tone. The weakest link in the movie is Rakulpreet Singh who mostly has deadpan expressions throughout the film. Shefali Shah more than manages for the lack of a parallel female lead in the movie. The dialogues are mostly apt to the progress of the movie and the comic timing is excellent. The music of the film is negligible but the overall impact is quite positive and both the films fill you with hope in the end.
