Acclaimed Indian filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali has been on a ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ red carpet drive across London, with a series of high-profile events as part of the BAFTA Awards campaign for the award-winning Bollywood film.
Bhansali headlined a special BAFTA Masterclass recently at the iconic home of British cinema – British Academy of Film and Television Arts – sharing insights into his career trajectory over the last 25 years. Marking the first-ever masterclass the director has delivered, the full house event took place at BAFTA’s iconic Princess Anne Theatre, hosted by Rachel Dwyer, British author and former professor of Indian Cultures and Cinema at SOAS, University of London.
The award-winning filmmaker also took part in a candid conversation with British film critic Mike McCahill for the next generation of the world’s leading creatives at Central Saint Martins, University of Arts London. Bhansali has become the first Indian artist invited to speak at the world’s highest ranked fashion and art school, with former alumni including some of the world’s biggest fashion designers such as the late Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, Kim Jones and Stella McCartney.
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Attended by hundreds of students, the session took place in the eminent LVMH Theatre, where Bhansali’s focus on Fashion, Creative Direction and Costume Design in his films was explored in detail followed by a Q&A session with students.
The highlight was a red carpet screening of ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ at the iconic Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square, one of the UK capital’s famous independent cinemas in the West End. The cinema was transformed for Gangubai, attended by hundreds of Bollywood fans, social media influencers and British Indian artists and hosted in collaboration with the UK Asian Film Festival.
Speaking about his experience of being in London, Bhansali said: “Speaking to audiences at the various events in London has been a wonderful experience for me.
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“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.”
The talented artist also dropped his debut music album, ‘Sukoon’, filled with peaceful and calming melodies.
The filmmaker has a series of events planned as part of the BAFTA Awards campaign for ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’, starring Alia Bhatt. The film is being submitted for BAFTA members’ consideration in all categories including Best Film, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Leading Actress and Film Not in the English Language.
