Alia Bhatt totally owned the screen in Gangubai Kathiawadi! Her performance as the fiery, determined Gangubai was praised across the board, making the film one of the strongest showcases of a female protagonist in recent times. Fans and critics alike were floored, and the cherry on top was that Alia even bagged the National Award at the 69th National Film Awards for her stellar portrayal. Honestly, it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role now.

But guess what? Alia wasn’t even the first pick for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ambitious project. Singer Aditya Narayan, who once worked with Bhansali as an assistant director, spilled the tea recently. He revealed that the filmmaker had initially planned to cast none other than Rani Mukerji for the role of Gangubai.

During a fun chat with Bharti

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