Renowned director Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s debut web series, Heeramandi, premiered on May 1st and quickly gained popularity, becoming one of the most-watched shows on Netflix. While the initial reviews were mixed, audiences across the country became engrossed in the series, which depicts the lives of courtesans in Lahore during the era of India’s independence. The portrayal of historical accuracy, aesthetics, and the issue of nepotism sparked various discussions.
The first season of Heeramandi focused on the lives of courtesans in Lahore’s Heeramandi area. It concludes with them joining India’s freedom struggle movement as they lose support from the nawabs.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali announced that the second season would take a different direction. After India’s partition, the courtesans will relocate to Bombay or Kolkata and enter the film industry. Bhansali stated, “They leave Lahore after the partition and most of them settle in the Mumbai film industry or Kolkata film industry.” The second season will explore their journey in this new setting, where they perform for producers instead of nawabs.
The cast of Heeramandi includes Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Bhansali’s niece, Sharmin Segal. Sharmin Segal’s performance received criticism, with viewers expressing dissatisfaction with her casting and lack of expression. Consequently, when the second season was announced, many netizens voiced their opposition to seeing Sharmin’s character, Alamzeb, return for the new season.