‘Heeramandi’ actor Sharmin Segal recently compared her performance in the series to Meena Kumari’s in ‘Pakeezah’. The actor’s statement came after her portrayal of Alamzeb in the show was criticised by the viewers, and she was called ‘expressionless’. Now, the legendary actor’s stepson, Tajdar Amrohi, has reacted to Sharmin’s statement.
In a recent interview, Tajdar, the son of Pakeezah director Kamal Amrohi, stated that he doesn’t agree with Sharmin’s comparison. He also said that the Netflix series ‘Heeramandi’ can’t be compared to the classic film ‘Pakeezah’.
Tajdar Amrohi reacts to Sharmin Segal's remark about Pakeezah
In the conversation with Zoom, Tajdar was asked about Sharmin’s statement that she took inspiration from Meena Kumari’s ‘nothingness’ in Pakeezah while playing her character in ‘Heeramandi’.
“I don’t know Sharmin. But no, I can’t relate to her statement on nothingness,” he said.
Tajdar added that there is a huge difference between both acts. “Zameen aasman ka fark hai between Heeramandi and Pakeezah. Don’t compare the two. Nobody can make Pakeezah again. Neither Meena Kumari nor Kamal Amrohi can ever be born again,” he said.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali once visited Kamal Amrohi's film set
Talking about Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Tajdar said the filmmaker has always been a fan of Kamal Amrohi’s work. “Main iske baare mein bolna nahin chahta kyunki Bhansali is a big fan of my father Kamal Amrohi. In every film of his, Bhansali tries to take the shots in a very similar way as my father did.”
He also shared that Bhansali visited Kamalistan Studio 15 years ago, in search of the sets that Kamal worked on. “Out of great respect, he touched the ground where my dad sat,” he said.
Speaking with ETimes, Sharmin Segal said that she ‘tried’ to watch Pakeezah ’15–16 times’. The actor also said that her performance in ‘Heeramandi’ was inspired by Meena Kumari.
“Meena Kumari was one of my inspirations,” she said, adding that the ‘nothingness’ of her performance helped her in the series.
'Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazar' was released on Netflix on May 1. The series also stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Richa Chadha, and Fardeen Khan, among others.