Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s debut streaming series, the period drama ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar,’ has received significant praise from some critics while also facing backlash and criticisms for certain aspects of the portrayal.
Aditi Rao Hydari, a key figure in Heeramandi’ with an all-female cast, recently shared an experience where Bhansali reprimanded her during filming and provoked an emotional response from her by withholding food.
She recounted a moment during the shooting of a particular scene where Bhansali’s guidance was not resonating with her immediately due to exhaustion and post-Covid recovery. Despite struggling to meet his expectations initially, she eventually achieved the desired performance, fueled by her admiration for his dedication.
Aditi told Bollywood Hungama, “That happened during the shooting of the first mujra. We started our shoot with ‘Hath hojao‘, which was the first mujra I did. I had also just recovered from Covid at that time. By the end of the first day… the costume was heavy and my brain was not taking in anymore… I could see what he was telling me, I could understand it, but the firing wasn’t happening. But, trust me, what he was saying made complete sense. I was so disappointed in myself because I knew he didn’t get what he wanted. But, just before we wrapped, we got it. My thing here was that he believed so much in us so I never wanted to see him disappointed.”
Hydari mentioned how Bhansali teased her for finding it challenging to portray anger convincingly, highlighting her inclination towards more subtle expressions of emotion. She described a unique incident where Bhansali’s storytelling and method of motivating her by foregoing a lunch break enhanced her performance, helping her remain in character and deliver a compelling scene.
“He used to say, ‘If I say angry scene, she’ll do one love scene with full Shringar bhav,‘ about me. And he’s right. For me, to be angry is the most tiring thing, especially the very outward anger. And I have to be this passionate, rousing girl (here). I have to make all these people (the other characters) believe in what I’m saying. One day, we did two-three takes and then he just called me very sweetly and he started speaking to me. I immediately got taken into another world. He speaks very beautifully and he speaks from his heart, so it’s very passionate and I had tears in my eyes. And then he said we were going to shoot this scene and gave everybody a lunch break, except me. He asked, ‘Is that okay?’ I was like, ‘Done’. So I didn’t eat and it really helped me. It kept me on the edge and not soft. So I went back to my van and I just thought about everything that he said. He basically told me a story. I came back and we shot it and it was okay,” she recalled.
Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar now stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Sehgal and Sanjeeda Sheikh as tawaifs. The series also stars Fardeen Khan, Taha Shah Badussha, Shekhar Suman, and Adhyayan Suman in the roles of the Nawabs.
The trailer was released earlier last month and it transported fans to a time when courtesans reigned as monarchs. Through the stories of courtesans and their clients, set against the turbulent backdrop of the Indian Independence struggle in the 1940s, the series investigates the cultural reality of the namesake area of Heera Mandi.
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