Heeramandi: Bhansali’s Tribute to Courtesans, Trinamool Accuses BJP of Ousting Amartya Sen

Mumbai, India - When the lights came on after the premiere of Heeramandi, filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali stood up and applauded, “Munnu, it’s your day today.” The credit titles revealed that even before his own name, Bhansali had given topmost billing to “Original concept by Moin Baig,” a rare gesture of due credit to the source of a major dramatic project.

Moin Baig, a former journalist popularly known as Munnu, had shared his dream story with close friend Bhansali. Growing up in a Muslim family in erstwhile Bombay, where actresses were derogatorily labelled “women from Heeramandi,” Moin was intrigued by the disrepute attached to the name. On a visit across the border, he was introduced to Heeramandi, then on its way to irrelevance along with its vanishing patrons. But the journalist returned with a vivid picture of the lost grandeur of the tawaifs of Lahore and an abundance of stories.

Bhansali has created a spectacular new world in Heeramandi, an ambience unseen on OTT, courtesans with their own splendour, pride, hierarchy, and raw, emotional cruelty. The premiere, hosted by Netflix and Bhansali, was an old-world event that took off with nawabi indulgence, more stars glittering on the red carpet than up in the sky.

The very pregnant Richa Chadha got much applause when she sashayed into the frame in the second episode, her heart in splinters. Partnering her was Adhyayan Suman — for parents Shekhar Suman and Alka, it was an extraordinary moment. Adhyayan not only fetched much applause but the first episode also introduced Shekhar in a scene that draws a chuckle. Heeramandi is thus a double whammy for the family.

Rekha expressed her astonishment at the world Bhansali had created. Few know that when the concept was conceived decades ago, the main role of Mallikajaan had been written with her in mind. Time elapsed. Manisha Koirala became the majestic Mallikajaan. Bhansali turned the spotlight on his own niece Sharmin Segal and young Indian actor Taha Shah Badussha, who finally gets his chance to charm in Heeramandi.

Sonakshi Sinha has her father’s scene-stealing presence as Fareedan — her face-off with Manisha driving the drama. Swaying to Tilasmi bahein, a hummable Bhansali composition, Ms Sinha will join a small knot of actresses who’ve effectively exuded sensuality in a sari, following in the footsteps of Sridevi and Rekha.