Tag: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

  • Fardeen Khan Condemns Trolling as He Supports Sharmin Segal; ‘It’s Simply Wrong’ | People News

    New Delhi: Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’ has received immense global acclaim. While the show has been widely loved, Sharmin Segal’s performance has generated significant buzz online.

    Amidst escalating trolling over her performance, numerous actors have stepped up to support her. Now, Fardeen Khan, her co-actor from “Heeramandi,” has also voiced his support in her defense.

    In a recent interview, Fardeen Khan said, ‘I think it’s extremely unfortunate, the whole trolling aspect of it. Everyone has a right to like or unlike someone’s performance but this whole trolling aspect is something that is simply wrong and not done and I believe she has done a very decent job in Heeramandi.’

    He further added, ‘She has a very complex challenging role and she was working with some mega talent out there. For me she came across as strong and it was a great start for her career and started acting in general.’

    Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar ‘ also features Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, and Taha Shah Badussha.

    The series was released on Netflix on 1 May 2024.

  • 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:

  • 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.

  • Netflix CEO lauds Bhansali’s ‘unique’ storytelling ability

    By Express News Service

    The first look of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi, which marks his venture into the OTT space, was launched recently. Ted Sarandos, the Co-CEO of Netflix, recently flew down to India to attend the asset launch of the series.

    Talking about Bhansali and the length of work he has done so far, Ted said, “The range of the work, I mean for me when I think of his career, thinking about Khamoshi (Silence), Black, Gangubai, the widely different storytelling, it’s widely different worlds that he is building out and this ability to find the right balance between style, drama and substance and how he moves a story. That, I think, is very unique.”

    Recalling the first time Ted met SLB, he shared, “When we first met, Sanjay talked about this project. I thought, ‘Oh, I want to see that right now.’ I know from his other work that this is something he very uniquely could bring to screen the size, the scale.”

    In conclusion, Netflix India content head Monika Shergill had similar things to share about the auteur director. She added, “Sanjay is the absolute true visionary. The magician creator from India to the world. Heermandi is going to be an absolutely special gift to the world from India.” 

    The first look of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi, which marks his venture into the OTT space, was launched recently. Ted Sarandos, the Co-CEO of Netflix, recently flew down to India to attend the asset launch of the series.

    Talking about Bhansali and the length of work he has done so far, Ted said, “The range of the work, I mean for me when I think of his career, thinking about Khamoshi (Silence), Black, Gangubai, the widely different storytelling, it’s widely different worlds that he is building out and this ability to find the right balance between style, drama and substance and how he moves a story. That, I think, is very unique.”

    Recalling the first time Ted met SLB, he shared, “When we first met, Sanjay talked about this project. I thought, ‘Oh, I want to see that right now.’ I know from his other work that this is something he very uniquely could bring to screen the size, the scale.”

    In conclusion, Netflix India content head Monika Shergill had similar things to share about the auteur director. She added, “Sanjay is the absolute true visionary. The magician creator from India to the world. Heermandi is going to be an absolutely special gift to the world from India.”
     

  • Mumbai court issues summons to Alia, Sanjay Leela Bhansali in defamation case related to Gangubai Kathiawadi

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: A metropolitan magistrate court at Mumbai’s Magazaon has summoned actor Alia Bhatt, filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and two writers in connection with an alleged defamation case connected to the upcoming film Gangubai Kathiawadi.

    S Hussain Zaidi, Jane Borges, Bhansali Productions Pvt Ltd, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Alia Bhatt have been issued summons and they have been asked to present themselves before the court on May 21.

    A man named Babuji Rawji Shah (74) years, who claims to be the son of Gangubai Kathiawadi, had filed a suit in the court against the movie in December.

    ALSO READ: Who really was Gangubai Kathiawadi and can Alia Bhatt do her justice?

    Based on the book ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai’ written by S Hussain Zaidi, the film showcases the rise of a girl named Gangubai Kothewali, a brothel owner and matriarch from Kathiawad who had no choice but to embrace the ways of destiny and swing it in her favour.

    The complainant has alleged that his mother is shown as a prostitute in the book as well as in the movie.

    “Further it is shown that she was the brothel keeper and mafia queen. These things are tarnishing the image of his deceased mother as well as his family,” read the court order.

    “The novel was already published, however, the complainant has claimed that he had no knowledge of the book and came into light only on the social media, news and transmission of the promo of the upcoming film. In the novel as well as the promo they have not only used the name of his mother but also used her surname along with the residential area i.e. Kamathipura, where his deceased mother was identified and had a reputation in the society, before her death,” it said.

    Shah claimed his mother had always worked for the rights of sex workers and the prevention of human trafficking.

    After the release of the movie promo, the complainant alleged people in the vicinity are now are asking rates of his daughter and daughter-in-law and demanding sexual pleasure from them.

    The complainant has stated his consent was not obtained by all the accused (persons who have been summoned) prior to the publishing of the novel and thereafter without his consent and knowledge of the promo has been released.

    “To portray the image of deceased Gangubai without the consent of family members amount to defaming her image… Prima facie, it shows that the complainant and his family members are suffering from mental agony due to the novel and promo, read the court order.

    The complainant has filed the complaint at Nagpada Police Station.

    The makers have announced the theatrical release date of the film on July 30 this year.The film marks Bhansali’s first collaboration with Alia. This project will also see Bhansali Productions collaborating with Jayantilal Gada’s Pen India Limited.