To prepare for her performance in Gangubai Kathiawadi, actress Alia Bhatt says she watched a lot of vintage Hindi films, particularly those starring Meena Kumari, since director Sanjay Leela Bhansali wanted her to capture the old world elegance and grace that the actresses of that era had.
As part of her preparation, Alia saw the Shabana Azmi-starrer Mandi, a Shyam Benegal film starring her mother Soni Razdan, the American period drama Memoirs of a Geisha, and other vintage Indian films.
“He (Sanjay) wanted me to watch Meena Kumari’s work a lot, her expressions… the way she would sing a song, although I am not going all out singing songs in the movie. There is a certain sadness in her eyes, but there is a power to her face. He would say, ‘See her face, which is so full’… I also watched Mandi,” Alia told PTI in an interview.
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