Heeramandi Review: Bhansali’s Fascinating Portrait Of Tawaifs Distracts From The Dark Side Of Their Lives
Heeramandi Review: Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’ comes after the filmmaker’s fascinating portrayal of courtesans in films like ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ and ‘Devdas’.
- Heeramandi star cast: Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Sharmeen Saigal, Taha Shah Badussha, Shekhar Suman, Fardeen Khan, Adhyayan Suman, Farida Jalal
- Heeramandi director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
- Heeramandi rating: 3.5 stars
Heeramandi Review: Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s debut series ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’, inspired from the lives of Tawaifs dwelling in pre-independence Lahore, comes after the filmmaker’s fascinating portrayal of courtesans and sex workers in films like ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’, ‘Devdas’ and ‘Saawariya’. In his last biographical film, Bhansali drew inspiration from the pages of S. Hussain Zaidi’s book ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai’ to bring forth a story of a young Gangu, forced into sex trade, who became the Mafia queen of Mumbai.
Now, the director has carved the narrative of ‘Heeramandi’ out of a script offered to him by Moin Baig. The journey of the script from paper to screen took 18 years. But finally, Bhansali is back with another tale of love, revenge, and betrayal. Featuring a stellar ensemble cast including Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Sharmin Segal, Farida Jalal, Fardeen Khan, Adhyayan Suman, and Shekhar Suman. With the series, Bhansali offers a cinematic spectacle that delves into the vibrant world of Heeramandi.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi plot
In a scene from ‘Heeramandi’, Mallikajaan, the courtesan who is the so-called queen of Shahi Mahal, sets her pricey jewellery on fire simply because she is furious that her daughter has refused to become a tawaif. Evidence of how Bhansali aims to portray the women who reside in Lahore's red-light district. Although they may not be seen as morally superior to other women from wealthy households, the graceful courtesans are the queens of their own realm. In Sanjay Leela Bhansali's debut web series, set in the 1940s against the backdrop of the Indian independence movement against the British Raj, a group of courtesans, like many freedom fighters, stand against the atrocities of the British army but never receive the credit they deserve in the pages of history.
The story opens with a war raging both across the nation and within the walled city of Lahore. Similar to the British army in their attempt to colonise India, an outsider enters Heera Mandi to gain control of the place and settle some past dues. Manisha Koirala's character Mallikajaan, who seems to have given up everything (even her sister) to ascend the throne of Heeramandi, is overthrown by her archenemy, Fareedan, played by Sonakshi Sinha. Even the nobles of the city shudder at the sight of Mallikajaan's humongous pride. But Fareedan take no time to make use of Mallikajaan’s victims, her revengful sister Waheeda (Sanjeeda Sheikh) to the repugnant British officer Cartwright (Jason Shah).
Bhansali’s Heeramandi awash with grandeur and glitter
Bhansali masterfully crafts compelling stories about each of his characters while keeping this as the pivot of the narrative. Lajjo (Richa Chadha), the one who has been betrayed in love, longs to escape the world she was forced to live in. However, her lover puts her in place and later marries a virginal and upright woman, leaving Lajjo devastated. Meanwhile, the older daughter of Mallkajaan and the very heart of Heeramandi, Aditi Rao Hydari, plays Bibbojaan, who is a tawaif by practice but a rebel in spirit. Hydari's portrayal of the character reveals a different aspect of these women, who are much more than just rich men’s source of amusement.
In the eight-part series, Bhansali makes an effort to give each of the parallel stories enough attention but it may get a little difficult for viewers to follow at times. But he tries to make up for it with the visual extravaganza on screen and scenes filled with his trademark opulent sets, ornate costumes, and over-the-top adaa. The main story of power struggle play between Mallika Jaan and Fareedan is what keeps you hooked to the screen until the second phase begins. And one has to give credit to Manisha Koirala and Sonakshi Sinha’s performance for holding the fort till another interesting twist pops up in the story.
Is Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar worth a watch?
Behind the shiny garb of grace and pose, 'Heeramandi' chronicles the trials and tribulations of the nautch girls. Even though the sets might keep reminding you of Bhansali’s other works, the series stands out in quite a few ways. The performance-heavy series delves into the agency of women in the red-light area and their contributions to the freedom movement. Unfortunately, the director himself distracts the viewers from the very core of the script and keeps his lens focused more on the star-crossed lovers Alamzeb, Mallikajaan’s youngest daughter, and Tajdar, a young Nawab. Alamzeb (Sharmin Segal), who lives in her dreamy world far from her own reality, bumps into Tajdar (played by Taha Shah Badussha), a rebellious lawyer.
The subplot might seem like a sweet escape from the intense drama unfolding in the central narrative of the series, but it soon turns mundane and stretched out. Segal merely holds one expression throughout the run-time (maybe trying too hard to showcase the character’s innocence), and Badussha, as the broody Nawab, is overhyped even in the script.
If one wants to relish the eight-part series with episodes lasting as long as an hour, it has to be for Manisha Koirala’s unyielding Mallikajaan, Aditi Rao Hydari’s powerful scene-stealing character Bibbojaan, and the shrewd antagonist of Heeramandi, Fareedan, portrayed by Sonakshi. There aren't many scenes featuring Richa Chadha as Lajjojaan and Sanjeeda Shaikh as Waheedan, but when they appear on the screen, they always makes sure that you can't take your eyes off them.
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.
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