Robin Baker of the British Film Institute praised Alia Bhatt’s performance in ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’, saying that the Bollywood actress should be nominated for British Academy Film Awards and Oscars.

Alia expressed gratitude to Baker for all the compliments.

“If I were a member of BAFTA or the Academy (which I am not), this year I would vote for Alia Bhatt as Best Actress for her performance in GANGUBAI KATHIAWADI,” Robin wrote on Instagram.

“She plays a prostitute turned underworld brothel madam turned sex worker rights activist, and the joy of her performance is how she evolves as her character does,” he added.

“The film is big, brash, sentimental, and hugely enjoyable, but Bhatt is sensational,” said the BFI’s head curator. There’s also the film’s classic Hindi cinema references, from Gangubai’s love of Dev Anand to scenes of the 1950s and 1960s cinema-going to the numerous film posters lining the streets around Bombay’s red light district.

“If you haven’t seen it yet (especially if you’re a BAFTA or Academy Award voter), please go to Netflix right away,” Baker said. Alia re-shared Robin’s post, accompanied by a series of white heart emojis.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ was released in India on February 25, 2022. The film, which also features a cameo by Ajay Devgn, had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival a week before it was released in India.