Mrunal Thakur says Gangubai Kathiawadi role has made Alia Bhatt ‘amar’, watched film 5 times in theatre

Actor Mrunal Thakur has heaped praises on actor Alia Bhatt-starrer Gangubai Kathiawadi, adding that her character in the film has immortalised her as an actor. In a new interview, Mrunal also revealed that she wanted to be a part of the film as it ‘felt very personal’. Taking a trip down memory lane, Mrunal recalled working in a similar film at the beginning of her career. (Also Read | Alia Bhatt finds her walk is ‘strange like a duck’, says had to work hard to bring the swag for Gangubai Kathiawadi)

Mrunal Thakur, in 2012, started working in films with Love Sonia which released in 2018 after several delays. She essayed the role of a village girl caught in the clutches of sex-trafficking. It marked Mrunal’s first Hindi project. She made her Bollywood debut in 2019 with Super 30, followed by Batla House, and Ghost Stories. She also featured in Toofaan and Dhamaka. The actor has also appeared in several music videos.

In an interview with Zoom, Mrunal said, “I saw Gangubai four-five times in the theatre and I felt like, har ek character ek actor ko amar kardeta hai (every character immortalises an actor), jaise (such as) be it Madhubala for Mughal-E-Azam, ya Dirty Picture mein Vidya Balan. Similarly, Alia ke career me it is Gangubai (In Alia’s career it’s Gangubai).”

“When I watched it I really felt like, the way it was shot… And who doesn’t want to be a part of a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film? It was such a bold and risky subject. This is how I started my career with, a film based on brothels and sex trafficking so I really felt like I wanted to be a part of that film as well. It felt very personal because I started my journey with a film like this,” she added.

Helmed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Gangubai Kathiawadi chronicles the journey of sex worker Gangubai of Kamathipura, who rose to be one of the most powerful figures in the Mumbai mafia. Alia has essayed the role of Gangubai in the film. Apart from Alia, Gangubai Kathiawadi also features Ajay Devgn, Jim Sarbh, Shantanu Maheshwari, Vijay Raaz, Indira Tiwari and Seema Bhargava among others. Gangubai Kathiawadi released in theatres in February this year and is all set to release on Netflix on April 26.

Meanwhile, Mrunal features in Jersey, the remake of the 2019 Telugu movie of the same name, directed by Gowtam Tinnanauri. The film also features Shahid Kapoor and Pankaj Kapur. Jersey chronicles the story of a talented but failed cricketer, who decides to return to the field in his late 30s driven by the desire to represent the Indian cricket team and fulfil his son’s wish for a jersey as a gift.