Gangubai Kathiawadi is a 2022 Hindi-language crime drama directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. A biopic about the Indian sex worker and activist Gangubai Kathiawadi (played here by Alia Bhatt), and chronicles her rise from rich girl sold into a brothel into one of Mumbai's most powerful madams, and her fight to provide for her fellow prostitutes and their families in a society that marginalizes them.
Tropes:
- Dirty Cop: The Mumbai police can easily be tipped off and bribed for one's own agenda.
- Everyone Has Standards: Rahim Lala may be a mob boss, but he's disgusted at the beating his goon inflicted on Gangu and stands by her throughout the film.
- Framing Device: Gangubai's backstory is being told to a young woman who has freshly been sold into prostitution.
- Honor-Related Abuse: Gangubai tries to convince Madhu to stay at the brothel by claiming her family will commit honor killing against her for her association with prostitution, but Madhu remains steadfast. Gangubai lets her go.
- Hooker with a Heart of Gold: How the film frames Gangubai — she's a prostitute and later madame who has no qualms trying to convince others to join the business, but she has consistently advocated for the labour rights and living standards of her fellow sex workers and even provides for the education of her employees' children.
- Human Trafficking: There is an entire mob-backed industry of young women being sold to brothels, often under some other pretense — for example, Gangu's boyfriend claimed he was going to give her an acting career.
- Miss Kitty: Gangu eventually takes over the brothel she was initially sold into and becomes its madam, and advocates for the rights of her girls with steely determination.
