Based on the book Mafia Queens of Mumbai by S. Hussain Zaidi, it tells the story of Gangubai Kathiawadi, a simple girl from Kathiawad who is forced into prostitution and later rises to become a madam and an influential figure in Bombay's red-light area.

[7] The film stars Alia Bhatt in the title role, alongside Shantanu Maheshwari, Vijay Raaz, Indira Tiwari, Seema Pahwa, Jim Sarbh and Ajay Devgn.

[12] In 1944, 16-year-old Ganga Jagjivandas Kathiawadi, born into an affluent family to a Gujarati Hindu barrister in Kathiawad, aspires to become a Bollywood actress and runs away from home with her older boyfriend Ramnik who promises her a film career under the tutelage of his aunt[a] Sheela.

Hoping for justice, Gangu goes to Shaukat's principled boss, Afghan mafia leader Rahim Lala, who is impressed with her confidence.

Declaring her to be his sister, Rahim brutally beats Shaukat when he reappears at the brothel, causing Gangu to earn the adoration of fellow prostitutes.

Gangubai decides to stand as a candidate in the presidential elections of Kamathipura against the incumbent, a ruthless hijra named Raziabai, who has won unopposed the last two years.

With Rahim's help, Gangubai arranges illegal alcohol sales from her brothel to raise money and improve the living standards of the prostitutes.

Furthermore, she arranges a marriage between Roshni, the virgin daughter of fellow prostitute Kusum, and Afsaan, a Bihari Muslim tailor with whom she had a brief romance, by paying their dowry and throwing a grand celebration,[c] gaining further support.

After a grand Navaratri celebration and a voluntary business refrain,[d] Rahim informs Gangubai that a nearby Catholic girls' school has started a campaign to evict prostitutes from the area over concerns of negative influences while a local builder wants to demolish the brothels to construct skyscrapers on their land.

In her speech, Gangubai highlights misogynistic societal viewpoints against her community, which label prostitutes as immoral but not the men who visit them and deprive their children of basic human rights.

With the order being granted, the brothels of Kamathipura are prevented from being evicted, and Gangubai is widely celebrated in her area for her influence[e] and social activism.

The news about an adaptation of one of the chapters of Hussain Zaidi's book Mafia Queens of Mumbai first came out in June 2017 with Priyanka Chopra attached to star as the leading character.

[21][22][23] The film marks the Hindi cinema debut of television personality Shantanu Maheshwari, who portrays Gangubai's boyfriend Afsaan.

[25][26] Production was put on hold in March 2020 due to the lockdown ordered by the Indian government owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, when the film was 70% complete.

[33] The Telugu version of the chours singer includes Sahithi Komanduri, P. Sathya Yamini, Harini Ivaturi, Aswhini Chepuri, V.

"[56] Jagadish Angadi of Deccan Herald gave the film a rating of four out of five stars and wrote "Alia Bhatt as Gangubai is exceptionally brilliant.

[57] Wendy Ide of The Observer gave the film a rating of four out of five stars and wrote "The hard-hitting story of a sex worker who rises through the ranks of 60s gangland Mumbai is powered by a magnetic performance from Alia Bhatt".

[58] Ronak Kotecha of The Times of India gave a rating of three and a half out of five stars and wrote "With whatever is packed into this drama, there are enough moments that will draw you into this world where nights seem endless and the lights never fade.

"[59] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave the film a rating of three and a half out of five stars and wrote "The visually sumptuous character study, more baroque than 1950s Bombay, is at once sweeping and intimate".

[60] Tushar Joshi of India Today gave a rating of three and a half out of five stars and wrote "Gangubai Kathiawadi's camera work, background score and dialogues are the three pillars that take it from being just another gutsy biopic to a film that creates a massive impact.

[61] Prathap Nair of Firstpost gave a rating of three and a half out of five stars and wrote "Written by Bhansali and Utkarshini Vashishtha, it flips the narrative by handing out extraordinary concessions to the female lead at its heart, not entirely a frequent occurrence in Bollywood".

[63] Stutee Ghosh of The Quint gave the film a rating of three and a half out of five stars and wrote "Gangubai Kathiawadi is a Sanjay Leela Bhansali canvas and a complete Alia Bhatt show".

[64] Sukanya Verma of Rediff gave the film a rating of three and a half out of five stars and wrote "Something in Alia has surely changed after Gangubai.

[65] Sanjana Jadhav of Pinkvilla gave the film a rating of three and a half out of five stars and wrote "Alia Bhatt and the cast performances, Bhansali's visuals and a sneak peek into this brutal world makes it a definite watch".

[69] Anuj Kumar of The Hindu wrote "This is easily Bhansali at his best as he has been able to marry craft with content; here, he attempts a Pakeezah for the millennials and almost succeeds".

[97][98] Bollywood Hungama noted that Gangubai Kathiawadi's commercial performance has given the much-needed hope to the industry that the box-office in the near future would fire up even more.

[103] Outlook magazine called Gangubai Kathiawadi a modern-day classic and credited it for setting the stage for a shift in audience's taste.