Rocking her character’s trademark white saree look, the actress hit the red carpet where she posed for photos, signed autographs and greeted her fans. The actress, who was making her third Berlinale appearance, made sure to have a little fun while on the red carpet.
Videos that have turned up online see the star recreating her character’s ‘ulta namaste’ and encouraging the audience to also mimic her.
On the request of a fan, the actress also delivered her power-packed Gangubai dialogue that you can watch below:
Speaking at the press conference, Alia said that her performance was born out of long conversations with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali – who had a very specific vision for which the star had to deepen her voice.
“He wanted me to … get a base in my voice because I have a bit of a high-pitched tone, especially when I speak with energy and it sounds a bit childish,” Bhatt said. “He wanted weight. He wanted intensity.”
She also added that Bhansali demanded authenticity and performances that would bring this story forward.
,gangubai Kathiawadi’, an adaptation from the book ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai’, is about Gangubai’s rise from a vulnerable sex worker to a powerful figure in the city’s red-light district.
Bhansali said the movie presents a story about a “ferocious warrior” who was way ahead of her time and fought her the rights of sex workers.
“It is a story of a woman who was trapped into being a sex worker and how she fought. How she fought for dignity for women, how she fought for the girls in the brothels to be accepted in mainstream society.
“She asked for legalization of the profession and all this happened at a time when words like feminism and women empowerment were not yet coined. But I think she was way ahead of her time,” Bhansali said.
‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ will be released in theaters on February 25.
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