The trailer of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heermandi was dropped on Tuesday evening. Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar has a stellar star cast and will be released on Netflix on May 1. Actors Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Fardeen Khan, Taha Shah Badussha, Shekhar Suman and Adhyayan Suman are part of the series.
"Why include patriotism angle? Underwhelming"
The series talks about a group of courtesans set against the volatile backdrop of India's independence struggle in the 1940s.
Needless to say, Heeramandi is a visual spectacle, the larger-than-life set, shot on a grand scale, the breathtaking costumes keep the audiences hooked.
The cinematic brilliance is filled with passion, love, enmity and a quest to fight for the right.
The trailer shows Mallikajaan (Manisha) ruling over an elite house of courtesans. She schemes, fearing no one.
Meanwhile, Bibbojaan (Aditi), one of Mallikajaan's daughters, joins the fight for freedom. Mallikajaan's youngest, Alamzeb (Sharmin), dreams of love with the son of a nawab (nobleman), Tajdar (Taha Shah Badussha), and yearns to break out of Heeramandi.
Eventually, Mallikajaan and Fareedan battle it out for the title of the huzoor, or lady, of Heeramandi.
Dialogues are on point
One of the dialogues mouthed by Shekhar Suman to Mallika Jaan (Manisha Koirala) is "issi talab mein nangi tairti nazar ayengi aap". (You will be swimming alone in this pond).
Aditi Rao Hydari who is one of the daughters of Mallika Jaan, says "kabhi kothe wali ki jagah mulk wali hokar sochiye." (Think about your nation).
The last part of the trailer shows Manisha Koirala saying that Heeramandi is ruled by her and not Britishers.
Fans were in awe seeing Farida Jalal back!
However, a section of netizens wasn't pleased with the trailer of the series.
A user wrote, "Patriotism plot is too stale nowadays rest everything is up to SLB class it's majestic by all frames."
Another wrote, "There was no need to add the patriotism angle to the world of prostitution.
The third user said, "SLB has glamorized prostitution.."
The ensemble cast appeared at Netflix's trailer launch event at the Taj Palace in Delhi and spoke about their characters.
Manisha Koirala, who has worked with Bhansali on Khaamoshi (1996), said, "I waited 28 years for Sanjay to call me".
Actor Fardeen Khan, who is making a comeback after 14 years, praised Bhansali for his writing and said, "There's nobody like him who writes characters. He goes across the spectrum and emotions, and he has this intuitive understanding of it. It's daunting to work with him, but at the same time, when you see it all together, it just all makes sense."
"This is a story of love, power, freedom, and extraordinary women, their desires, and struggles. It marks a new milestone in my journey," said Bhansali.
