The company of women: Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Heeramandi-The Diamond Bazaar' brings to life a bygone era
Nothing in Bollywood says ‘larger-than-life’ quite like the films of Sanjay Leela Bhansali. They are grand, opulent and rich, both in colour and content. It is, therefore, not surprising for the director to announce his digital debut with equal, if not greater, splendour. The trailer of Heeramandi-The Diamond Bazaar, which releases on Netflix on May 1, is proof. Retelling the story of courtesans in pre-Independent India, and how they contributed to the country’s freedom struggle, the series brings together an ensemble cast that recites Urdu couplets with as much flair as they do while employing Machiavellian tactics in battle. Starring Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh and Sharmin Segal, it brings to life a bygone era recreated through exquisitely detailed sets.
“Sanjay’s forte is giving life and dignity to those who have been derided by society,” says Koirala, who starred in Bhansali’s directorial debut Khamoshi 28 years ago. She plays the ruthless Mallikajaan, the scheming doyenne of Heeramandi, who rules the place with an iron fist. “These courtesans wielded a lot of power, and you will see how my character, who has had her share of heartbreaks and disappointments, turns into this vindictive control freak. There were so many layers to unravel, and for a performer, it’s a treat,” she says, adding, “Sanjay guides you like a hawk. There is no room for error. I am awestruck by his understanding of women. His eyes pierce through a woman’s soul and he articulates their pain and pathos so lyrically.”
Her sentiments are echoed by Hydari, who plays the distinctly different Bibbojaan, the delicate courtesan who showcases an indomitable strength-of-character as she shoulders the freedom movement alongside the revolutionaries. “Bibbo is a classic combination of vulnerability and courage-under-fire. People never considered these women honourable, but they were in their truth. Sanjay sir is applauded for the beauty and grandeur of his cinema, but his emotional depth in understanding women characters is equally wholesome. He never compromises on their agency,” she says.
Bhansali’s perceptive eye to visualise actors beyond the familiar is something his leading ladies thrive on. Sonakshi Sinha, who was last seen as a feisty cop in Dahaad, is an example. In the upcoming series, she plays the crafty and power-obsessed Fareedan, who is on the path to avenge the wrongs done to her by Mallikajaan and, in the process, staking her claim on Heeramandi. “A good director makes you lose yourself in the character and his vision. No one had given me a part like this, and I am grateful that he saw me as this megalomaniac character,” she says, adding that the digital medium has liberated her enough to take risks without the dictates of box-office demands.
Similarly, the lovelorn and alcoholic Lajjwanti is “diametrically opposite” to any character Chadha has essayed before. “Mr Bhansali suggested that I look at Meena Kumari’s life for inspiration. And, there was so much grief. I used her personal trajectory to understand someone who is on the verge of self-destruction,” she says adding, “I tried to get the tone of her voice—the intonation where you can feel the pain and rawness—right.
I wanted to evoke the feeling of surrender and defeat that poets wrote about.” Heeramandi is not the first story on celluloid about the life of courtesans. Films such as Pakeezah, Umrao Jaan, Devdas, Amar Prem and Muqaddar Ka Sikander have all romanticised the tawaif as a tragic figure, destined to a life of loneliness. That, however, has resulted in a judgemental,undertone, feels Chadha. “I play a character who has no agency, but she is still humanised for whatever she stands for. It is important to put an end to the stigma that comes attached to being a certain type of woman,” she adds.
Sanjeeda Sheikh plays the temperamental Waheeda, and Sharmin Segal is Alamzeb, a budding poet, who does not want to be part of Heeramandi’s legacy. “I loved the unpredictability in Waheeda. Isolated and childlike were my keywords for her,” says Sanjeeda. Sharmin further adds, “It is also a social commentary. The country was on the cusp of change and its history is seen through the eyes of women who were fearless in the face of adversity.” This is Bhansali’s world, and women are running the show here.