Cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee on the unique challenge he faced with Alia Bhatt in 'Gangubai Kathiawadi': When I gave her an instruction, initially there was no response

Cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee discussed his experience working with Alia Bhatt on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Gangubai Kathiawadi." Known for her exceptional acting skills, Alia Bhatt, according to Chatterjee, posed a unique challenge during the shoot when he found it difficult to determine if she had heard his instructions for a particular scene.
In an interview with Film Companion, he stated, “With Alia, when I give her an instruction...Initially, I used to say that there was no response. I wouldn’t know whether she had heard me or not. But she would do it to the point.” He then recalled a scene from the film where Seema Pahwa’s Sheela character is interacting with Alia’s Gangubai and is trying to suck her into her brothel.

“There was one sequence where she was being trapped in the brothel, and Sheela Mausi was holding her face. I left a small slit of sunlight on her face. The light is almost a symbol of her hope, her dignity, her pride—everything. And she would really want to cling on to that. In my mind, she would try to move towards the light, and Sheela Mausi would keep on dragging her into the darkness,” he shared.
Sudeep said that he wondered if he should share this with Alia so she could move her face accordingly and they could achieve the desired effect. “I thought maybe if I told this to her, and it was early in the shoot, she could help me achieve this. When I told her, I didn’t realise that she had even realised what I had said, and she did. But you see that scene and see what she does. Then, after the take, she came and asked me, ‘Could I manage?’ I was so happy,” he said.

Highlighting the professionalism and dedication of Alia Bhatt, Chatterjee acknowledged that, despite the initial lack of visible reaction, her performance in the scenes spoke volumes.