Sanjay Leela Bhansali begins BAFTA Awards campaign for Gangubai Kathiawadi, Alia Bhatt's name to be considered in Best Actress category

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is in London and began the campaign this week for his film Gangubai Khatiwadi’s nomination at the BAFTA Awards . The filmmaker attended a BAFTA Masterclass on November 28 and speaking at BAFTA’s iconic Princess Anne Theatre.

Speaking in a full house session, Sanjay Leela Bhansali discussed his career trajectory of the past 25 years. His session was hosted by Rachel Dwyer, British author and former professor of Indian Cultures and Cinema at SOAS, University of London.

On the next day, November 29, Sanjay Leela Bhansali participated in a special convention with British film critic, Mike McCahill at Central Saint Martins, University of Arts London. Becoming the first Indian celebrity to speak at the world’s highest ranked fashion and art school and spoke about his focus on fashion, creative direction and costume design in his films.

The filmmaker also attended a special red carpet screening of Gangubai Kathiawadi in London at The Prince Charles Cinema. With several more events to go in his BAFTA campaign, Sanjay Leela Bhansali spoke about his experience so far and said in a statement, “Speaking to audiences at the various events in London has been a wonderful experience for me. The BAFTA Masterclass took me back to my early days as a filmmaker. It was a thrilling experience to share my insights and interact with students at Central Saint Martins. Gangubai Kathiawadi continues to receive unprecedented love from audiences globally. I hope this love continues to pour our way.”

Gangubai Kathiawadi is being submitted by the makers for the consideration of BAFTA members in all categories including Best Film, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Leading Actress and Film Not in the English Language.

With the star cast led by Alia Bhatt , Gangubai Kathiawadi debuted Berlin International Film Festival 2022 in February and later in the month it was released in cinemas worldwide. It remains one of the few big hits of the years in Bollywood and has received widespread acclaim from critics across the globe.