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Tag: Heeramandi

  • Heeramandi Review: Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Magnum Opus Is All About Love, Lust, Revenge And Theatrics | Web Series News

    Show: ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’ Cast: Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Sharmin Segal, Taha Shah, Fardeen Khan, Shekhar Suman, Adhyayan Suman Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali Producer: Sanjay Leela Bhansali Where To Watch: Netflix Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

    Review: Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s tribute to the elegant courtesans, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazar is an opulent saga of love, revenge, betrayal and a lust for power.

    But, interestingly enough it is the women who are the driving force in this grandiose narrative which takes us to pre-Independent India and the abode of tawaifs of Heeramandi in Lahore.

    Mallikajaan (Manisha Koirala) or Huzoor as she is called, is the crafty head of Shahi Mahal, the elite brothel in Heeramandi. Unapologetically shrewd, we are given an insight into her dark past, when her newborn was forcibly sold by the intimidating Rehana( Sonakshi Sinha) the Madam of Shahi Mahal. Mallikajaan has usurped Rehana’s position and now rules over Shahi Mahal with an iron fist. One of her chief patrons is Nawab Zulfikar( Shekhar Suman) who is her lover, partner in crime and Manisha Koirala as the intoxicated and temperamental Mallikajaan reminds one of the female version of Ranveer Singh’s Khilji from Padmvaat.

    The other residents of Shahi Mahal include Waheeda( Sanjeeda Sheikh), Mallika’s mercurial younger sister, who is complex and hyper-emotional.

    Bibbojaan( Aditi Hydari Rao) a delicate and popular courtesan is patronized by the influential Nawab Wali( Fardeen Khan). However don’t be fooled by her frailty, Bibbo uses her proximity to the Nawabs to leverage information for the revolutionaries, as the Independence movement gains momentum. Lajjo( Richa Chadha) the inebriated and love-lorn courtesan who is pining for her lover the selfish Nawab Zorawar( Adhyayan Suman) There is Alam ( Sharmin Segal) Mallika’s rebellious daughter who spends time writing poetry and does not want to be part of Shahi Mahal’s legacy. Alam falls head over heels in love with Tajdar( Taaha Shah Badussha)the Oxford-returned heir of an influential family, who chastises the Nawabs for being puppets in the hands of the British.

    As the art of seduction and Machiavellian tactics for power unfold amongst the walls of Shahi Mahal, the arrival of Fareedan( Sonakshi Sinha) casts a shadow of doom.

    Fareedan is back to exact her pound of flesh and place as the rightful heir of Heeramandi. She is the only one who can challenge Mallikajaan and is willing to use every trick to overthrow her.

    Sanjay Leela Bhanslali’s Heeramandi comes bearing his signature stamp of grandeur and theatricals. The visually appealing sets apart, the elaborate costumes created by Rimple and Harpreet give a glance into the ostentatious world of courtesans, who were the purveyors of fashion and style.

    “I am not a Tawaif, I am a traditional artist, but people call us Tamasha Baaz”, says Mallika. Accomplished artists, and flag bearers of arts, culture, literature and etiquette, the courtesans were also the unsung heroes of India’s freedom struggle.

    As the show tries to pack in all these aspects, along with queer themes, it comes across as stretched and staged. The rivalry and the toxic synergy between Manisha Koirala’s Mallika and Sonakshi Sinha’s Fareedan is riveting. As both these women put their cunning and calculative foot forward to wrestle power, the actors are impressive and uninhibited.

    Aditi Rao Hydari impresses as Bibbo, the coquettish courtesan who is also a charged rebel with a cause.

    Richa Chadha is impactful in the little screen time she is given. Sanjeeda Sheikh as Waheeda gets the beats of her character. However, Sharmin Segal as Alam is the weakest link in the narrative. The love track between Alam and Tajdar lacks passion and comes across as forced and contrived.

    The men in the show make little or no impact and are just incidental. Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazar sparkles all right, but gets unduly stretched and laborious.

    Watch the trailer here:

  • Heeramandi Star Shekhar Suman Says He Never Helped Son Adhyayan Get Work: ‘You Need To Be Saleable’ | People News

    New Delhi: Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s much-awaited Heeramandi is just the director’s labor of love. An idea he held close for 14 years, which finally comes to fruition. But it also marks the film comeback of two actors, Fardeen Khan, after 14 years and Adhyayan Suman after a decade.

    Adhyayan is in a double role, though the look that has been unveiled is of him as the flamboyant Nawab Zorawar. As he reveals when he got the call from Sanjay Leela Bhansali, he says his initial reaction was disbelief.

    “I am grateful to Mr Bhansali for giving me this massive opportunity at this point in my career, at a time when no one was ready to open their doors for me. He handpicked me and gave me not one but two pivotal characters in the show. I don’t know whether I will get an opportunity to work with him, but this is something I will cherish,” he said.

    Heeramandi also stars his father Shekhar Suman in a pivotal role. Shekhar says it was a special moment for their family. “My wife always wished to see us both father and son working together. When both of us were signed in, it was not father and son leaving home together, but two actors, a feeling which we will always savor”.

    Shekhar Suman admits that he had never used his contacts or network to help his son Adhyayan get work. “It is his journey, the experiences he has been through, and what he has finally got is entirely his. The industry is a ruthless place. You need to be sellable, and that determines your equity. But, am glad now they are veering towards talent.”

    Adhyayan calls the set of “Heeramandi” the best film school for an actor, recalls co-star Richa Chadha’s heartwarming message.” On my first day on set, she sent a beautiful message saying I had a different perception of you as a star kid but am so proud of you and your sincerity, and angry at myself for believing what others said about you.”

    Adhyayan who made his debut in Haal-e Dil also starred in Raaz opposite then-girlfriend Kangana Ranaut and the hit Jashnn. The actor hit a lean patch and says it was tough to get work.” I felt very lost and defeated earlier on, and the problem I soon realized was to escape the bubble we tend to create around us, and need to get a grasp of what we are and where we stand. I realized I was down and out and needed to figure my way out. There was no work, no calls and the work that was coming was not what I wanted. I started making music videos, did try to up-skill.”

    Set against the backdrop of India’s freedom struggle, Heeramandi takes us back to a time when the influential tawaifs (courtesans) with their influence on the nawabs were caught in a power dynamics as the country went through its socio-political upheaval. It stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh and Sharmin Segal in key roles.

    “It is a female-centric narrative and the males could look incidental, but they are very significant here. The dynamics between the Tawaifs and the Nawabs were intimate. The Nawabs were the catalyst in the politics and power play infolding within the Kothas. It’s an ensemble cast and everyone has an arc which varies, but in terms of significance they are all important,” says Shekhar Suman.

    Heeramandi Premieres on May 1 on Netflix.

  • Craving For Sanjay Leela Bhansali Art? Heeramandi Could Be The Biggest Show On OTT – Deets Inside

    The first ever big-scale show Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar will not only create a boom on the global platform but will also give rise to a new dawn that shall be followed by the other filmmakers too.