Debut on OTT
Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ambitious web series “Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar” will premiere on streaming service Netflix on May 1. The release date of the much-anticipated show was announced at a drone light show event held at the Mahalaxmi Race Course in South Mumbai.
Makers announced streaming date
A sneak peek into the world of “Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar”, which marks Bhansali’s digital debut, was unveiled in the sky through drones formation. The event was attended by the show’s star cast including Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha , Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal, and Sanjeeda Sheikh, Prerna Singh, CEO of Bhansali Productions, and Tanya Bami, Director of Series, Netflix India.
Original story of Heeramandi
Originally known as Heera Mandi, the locality is one of the most popular regions of Pakistan’s walled city of Lahore. Back in the 15th and 16th century, the area was famous for being a food grain market, and it was also the hub of the tawaif (courtesan) culture of undivided India. The Mughals would bring women from the regions of Afghanistan and Uzbekistan and groom them into exceptional performers of Indian classical dances like Kathak to entertain them and their guests. However, after Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded the region, Heera Mandi shifted from being an art and culture hub to a centre for a thriving prostitution business. His troops captured women from surrounding regions and put them up in brothels. The brothels and the prostitution business in Heera Mandi saw a further rampant rise during the British Raj. But when the partition was announced and the then-India was divided into two countries – India and Pakistan – Heera Mandi was set to be one of the worst-affected regions. Women staying in the brothels in the region fled to India before the lines separating the countries were drawn, and the ones who stayed were exploited under the guise of the unrest in both the regions.
Sonakshi Praised Bhansali
“In “Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar”, Bhansali had created a dream-like world. We didn’t want to come out of his world, it was dreamy, stunning, and it was that captivating. For us as actors, it was an experience which we never had before. The takeaway from working with him was that no matter how good you think you are he will always get something better out of you,” Sonakshi Sinha said.
Richa talks about experience of working with Bhansali
Richa Chadha said, “Nothing can be done half-heartedly (when you are working with Bhansali). You have to put your heart and soul into everything, whether it’s dialogue delivery, acting, dancing, music, everything. He even keeps an eye on every extra standing behind. It is just beautiful to work with him. We all became better actors (after working on this show)”
Aditi Rao Hydari missed the event
Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar” also stars Aditi Rao Hydari, who gave the event a miss following her wedding to long-time partner, actor Siddharth today. Based on the concept by Moin Beg, the series is created, directed and produced by Bhansali.
Kevin Varchand