THE SECRET OF LIVES COURTESANS

Geetika Sachdev has a freewheeling conversation with the star cast of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Netflix release, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar

- Geetika Sachdev

They say all that glitters is not gold. But in celebrated auteur Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s cinema, every element is larger-than-life– from the sets to the star cast and, of course, the storytelling. So it is no surprise that his latest project, the much-anticipated period drama Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, in collaboration with Netflix, is more ambitious in scale.

The web series–with a stellar lineup of actors like Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Sharmin Segal, Shekhar Suman, Fardeen Khan, Adhyayan Suman, and Taha Shah Badussha–marks Bhansali’s foray into the OTT arena.

Since the trailer for Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar was released in April, there has been much curiosity about what's brewing in the sizzling red-light district, where Mallikajaan (Koirala) rules over an elite house of courtesans.

While she fears no one–tension simmers with the return of her late nemesis’ daughter, Fareedan (Sinha). Outside, the city is at the centre of a revolution demanding India's freedom from British rule. One of Mallikajaan’s daughters, Bibbojaan (Hydari), dives into this battle, while her youngest, Alamzeb (Segal), harbours dreams of love with the son of a nawab, Tajdar (Badussha).

Amid a backdrop of betrayal, forbidden desires, and India's pre-independence struggle, there's a clash of the titans–Mallikajaan and Fareedan–for the crown of the ‘queen’ of Heeramandi.

We chatted with the star cast of Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar to learn more about each character, the experience of working with an ensemble cast, and more.

THE CHARACTER ARC