Heeraandi: Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s much-anticipated web series ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’ is now streaming on Netflix. The series stars an ensemble cast of Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Fardeen Khan, and others. The series was recently premiered in Los Angeles, where Bhansali shared that initially, he had other actors in mind for the subject.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali wanted to make Heeramandi a film
In a conversation with Lilly Singh, Bhansali shared that his initial conception of the project envisioned it as a movie starring Rekha, Kareena Kapoor, and Rani Mukerji.
“This was 18 years ago so at one point it was Rekha ji, Kareena, and Rani Mukerji. Then it changed into another cast, then it changed into another cast.”
The director also shared that he briefly toyed with the idea of featuring Pakistani actors Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan, and Imran Abbas for the film, before ultimately settling on a different direction.
Bhansali expressed contentment with the final cast lineup including Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari and others.
He also shared the series has been in the making for nearly three years, with over 300 days dedicated to filming.
Bhansali’s next project is ‘Love and War,’ featuring Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, and Vicky Kaushal.
Heeramandi review
ABP Live's review of the series reads, "Bhansali’s maximalist aesthetic, poetic dialogues, and needless tehzeeb do little good for the series. But does it seek to fill the gap in the screenplay? Definitely. The exquisite costumes and mesmerising mujra sequence are unable to hide the fact that the narrative of Heeramandi is nothing more than a power rift between two courtesans. A pinch of rebellion and patriotic mix is added to heighten the tension and give the story a backbone. 'Heeramandi' oscillates between Kamal Amrohi’s fascinating romance tale ‘Pakeezah’ and Shyam Bengal’s realistic portrayal of nautch girls in ‘Mandi’, but ends up as a glossy portait of the dark lives of tawaifs."