Gangubai Kathiawadi, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, has begun its awards season campaign. But the film is competing for more than just Indian awards. According to a statement from the film’s team, the movie is being nominated in every category for the prestigious British Academy Film (BAFTA) Awards 2023. The movie’s campaign for the same has formally started.
In February 2023, the Royal Festival Hall in London will host the 76th annual BAFTAs. Any movie released in the UK during the qualifying period is eligible for the prize, regardless of where it was made or what language it was in. Gangubai will participate in a number of important categories in addition to the Best Foreign Film category (formally known as Best Film Not in the English Language).
According to a statement from the movie’s team, Gangubai Kathiawadi will be nominated for BAFTA members to vote on as part of the campaign in all categories, including Best Film, Director, Adapted Screenplay, and Leading Actress.
In October, Gangubai Kathiawadi was added to the BAFTA voting members’ official screening schedule. Now that the cause is being supported, Sanjay Leela Bhansali will travel to London and participate in several events. The first of these will be him discussing his art on November 28 at a BAFTA Masterclass. Bhansali has already made an appearance at the BAFTA Awards. His movie Devdas received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in 2003.
Speaking about the campaign, the director said, “We are immensely blessed to have received so much appreciation for our film globally and we’re very excited to be part of the conversation this awards season amongst BAFTA voters.” The film’s lead actor Alia Bhatt added, “It is a great honour to take Gangubai Kathiawadi to the world stage and it gives me nothing but joy to be on this journey with Sanjay sir. The world has shown the film a lot of love and appreciation and we are excited to receive this love in the UK as well.”
A real-life Mumbai sex worker who became a social activist is the subject of the semi-fictionalized autobiography Gangubai Kathiawadi. In the widely praised and financially lucrative movie, Alia Bhatt portrayed the lead part. The movie made more than 200 crore in worldwide box office receipts, and critics applauded Alia’s performance in particular.