“I’ve always aspired to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali,” Alia Bhatt

Within a week of its streaming on Netflix , Gangubai Kathiawadi has become  the  Number 1  Non-English film on Netflix globally. The film has been watched for 13.81 million hours and has featured in the Top 10 in Films in 25 countries across the world, including Canada, United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and UAE.

Talking about how the film has been appreciated on Netflix, filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali said, “Gangubai Kathiawadi is a special film that I hold very close to my heart. The audience loved it when it was released in theaters and now, with Netflix, we are delighted to see how wide the film has been able to reach, finding new audiences. Its success on the streaming  platform reinforces that Gangubai’s story of fight for justice for women is truly universal.”

Adds Alia Bhatt , “It’s amazing to see how great stories continue to find new audiences, within India and beyond with Netflix. With all the love that Gangubai Kathiawadi has been receiving from its viewers all over the world, I’m rendered speechless. I’ve always aspired to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali and to have our film find a home on Netflix and receive the splendid response it did, fills me with gratitude. Streaming services break barriers of borders and languages and allow stories to find newer audiences everyday. To see Gangubai Kathiawadi trend at #1 in Non-English films globally on Netflix and in the Top 10 in 25 countries from Australia, Canada to  the  Kingdom is simply overwhelming!”

Sanjay Bhansali  has  personally supervised  the mastering of the digital  version  of  Gangubai Kathiawadi to ensure that the  film would be  equally thrilling on the  OTT platform to those  who have seen the film on  the large screen and for those experiencing the film for the  first time.

Says SLB, “All I can say is, the response  to the  digital version of Gangubai Kathiawadi is as exciting for the audience as it is  for us. The  film was loved by the audience  in theatres. It is getting the same love from the home-viewing audience.”

The one major change  that has happened since the  theatrical  release  of Gangubai Kathiawadi is the marital  status  of  the film’s heroine Alia Bhatt. Since the film’s release she has becomes Mrs Ranbir Kapoor. So  technically this is Alia’s first release since marriage.