A still from AI generated video. (courtesy: bollyvert.ai)
It's almost impossible to imagine Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi without Alia Bhatt but thanks to AI, we were able to picture what would it be like if Kareena Kapoor played the lead role. A page on Instagram called 'Bollyvert AI' reimagined the film with Kareena Kapoor as Gangubai Kathiawadi and the video is viral. "What if Kareena was in Gangubai Kathiawadi," read the title of the video. In the film, Alia Bhatt played the role of Gangubai Kathiawadi - a sex worker in Mumbai's Kamathipura, who was pushed into prostitution at an early age. The film showcased her journey as the head of a brothel and a political leader of Kamathipura.
The Internet had mixed feelings about the AI version featuring Kareena Kapoor. Some fans thought Alia was the perfect choice for the role. "Nah, Alia pulled it better," wrote a user. "She couldn't have acted the way Alia did," another user wrote. Another added, "Kareena couldn't have portrayed the character as well as Alia did." Another section of the Internet was rooting for Kareena. A comment read, "Kareena feels so much original." Another added, "She nailed it as Chameli way back in 2004." A third read, "Even though it's in AI, but Kareena seems so much better than Alia in this character." Another one added, "Kareena in Chameli was the closest resemblance to Gangubai."
Check out the viral video here:
This was Alia Bhatt's first project with filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The actress was supposed to work with the filmmaker in a film titled Inshallah, co-starring Salman Khan. However, the project got shelved. Alia Bhatt won a National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in Gangubai Kathiawadi.
Alia Bhatt's second project with Sanjay Leela Bhansali is titled Love & War. In the film Alia Bhatt will co-star with husband Ranbir Kapoor and her Raazi co-star Vicky Kaushal. The project was announced earlier this year.