Aditya Narayan Drops Casting Bombshell: Rani Mukerji Was Bhansali’s First Pick For Gangubai

Aditya Narayan shares that Sanjay Leela Bhansali once considered Rani Mukerji for Gangubai Kathiawadi before casting Alia Bhatt. He also recalls his career lows and working with Bhansali.

Aditya Narayan reveals that Sanjay Leela Bhansali initially considered Rani Mukerji for Gangubai Kathiawadi before casting Alia Bhatt.

Source : IMDb

Singer and television personality Aditya Narayan recently shared some lesser-known behind-the-scenes moments from his time working with filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, revealing that the director initially considered casting Rani Mukerji in Gangubai Kathiawadi—a role that ultimately won Alia Bhatt a National Award.

Speaking during a conversation with Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa on their YouTube channel, Aditya opened up about his brief but enlightening experience as an assistant director under Bhansali, and how it shaped his view of the film industry.

"I Think He Was Considering Rani Mukerji for Gangubai"

Recounting his entry into Bhansali’s camp, Aditya revealed that it was Sonu Nigam who suggested he take up an assistant director role with the acclaimed filmmaker. Though initially hesitant, Bhansali eventually started assigning him tasks after a week.

“After a week, he started giving me work slowly. At that time, he had two scripts with him: Ram-Leela and Gangubai Kathiawadi. I think he was considering making Gangubai Kathiawadi with Rani Mukerji in the lead at that time. He gave all of us the two scripts and asked which one was better. I also liked Ram-Leela more,” Aditya said.

The revelation has sparked curiosity about what the film might have looked like with Rani Mukerji in the lead—a role that Alia Bhatt ultimately portrayed with immense acclaim.

Career Slump and Reinvention Through Television

Aditya also reflected on the challenging phase after the failure of his 2010 film Shaapit, directed by Vikram Bhatt. Despite its popular music, the film was a box office disappointment.

“Shaapit was one of the few failures in my life. Before that, everything I did worked well.”

He admitted that the flop left him jobless for almost a year, with even low-tier PR agents unwilling to work with him. But things turned around when he was offered the chance to host X Factor, where Bhansali was a judge.

Bhansali’s Blockbuster and What Lies Ahead

Gangubai Kathiawadi, eventually released in 2022 with Alia Bhatt in the titular role, became a critical and commercial success, grossing over ₹211 crore worldwide and earning Bhatt the National Film Award for Best Actress. The film, inspired by Hussain Zaidi’s Mafia Queens of Mumbai, showcased the life of a brothel madam turned political figure in Mumbai’s Kamathipura.

While Aditya Narayan currently features on Ashneer Grover’s reality show Rise & Fall, Sanjay Leela Bhansali is busy filming his much-awaited epic Love & War, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal, scheduled for a 2026 release.