Before Alia Bhatt, Sanjay Leela Bhansali wanted Rani Mukerji as Gangubai: Aditya Narayan September 30, 2025 at 03:59PM

Singer and television host Aditya Narayan recently shared a lesser-known detail about the early development of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s critically acclaimed film Gangubai Kathiawadi. In a conversation with Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa on their YouTube channel, Aditya revealed that Bhansali had initially considered casting Rani Mukerji in the lead role—years before the film was eventually made with Alia Bhatt.

Aditya, who once worked with Bhansali as an assistant director, said the opportunity came after a challenging period in his career. Following the commercial failure of his film Shaapit, Aditya struggled to find work and was out of the spotlight for nearly a year. During that time, even basic support from public relations professionals dried up, and previous project offers disappeared.

His fortunes began to shift when he got the chance to host X Factor India, where Bhansali was one of the judges. Encouraged by singer Sonu Nigam, Aditya expressed interest in learning filmmaking and approached Bhansali for an assistant director role. Initially, Bhansali didn’t take him seriously. “He didn’t give me any work the first week—probably thought I’d quit,” Aditya recalled. But eventually, Bhansali involved him in the creative process. During that time, Bhansali was developing two scripts—Ram-Leela and Gangubai Kathiawadi. According to Aditya, the director asked his team for feedback on both. “He handed us the two scripts and asked which one we thought was better. I liked Ram-Leela more,” Aditya said. He also revealed that Bhansali had once envisioned Gangubai Kathiawadi with Rani Mukerji in the lead role. However, the project took a different turn, and several years later, the role went to Alia Bhatt.

When Gangubai Kathiawadi finally released in 2022, it became both a critical and commercial success. Based on a chapter from Hussain Zaidi’s book Mafia Queens of Mumbai, the film followed the life of Gangubai, a woman who rose from difficult circumstances to become a powerful and influential figure in Mumbai’s Kamathipura district. Alia Bhatt’s performance earned her the National Award for Best Actress at the 69th National Film Awards.

The film also featured Shantanu Maheshwari, Vijay Raaz, Jim Sarbh, Seema Pahwa, and Ajay Devgn, and went on to earn Rs. 211.5 crores worldwide. As of now, Aditya Narayan is appearing on the reality show Rise & Fall, hosted by Ashneer Grover, while Sanjay Leela Bhansali is currently working on his next film, Love & War, starring Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, and Vicky Kaushal. The film is expected to release in 2026.

Also Read: Two of my favourite actors: Ranbir Kapoor talks working with Vicky Kaushal and Alia Bhatt in Bhansali’s Love & War

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