Sanay Leela Bhansali‘s Heeramandi was not just praised for its performances but also its set design and costumes. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the show was lauded for its larger-than-life depiction of the world of Heera Mandi. A report on the budget and cast fees of Heeramandi was recently published by Money Control. (Also read: Heeramandi actor Shruti Sharma recalls getting rashes while shooting intimate scene)
Sanjay made his OTT debut on Netflix with this ambitious project. Notably, the show’s budget is not only due to its expensive jewellery, wardrobe and sets, but also because of the whopping fees paid to the cast. According to Money Control, Sanjay Leela Bhansali charged approximately ₹60-70 crore for directing the series. Due to its vast production scale, Heeramandi has a budget of around ₹200 crore. The report also provides a glimpse of the fees paid to the cast.
Sonakshi Sinha
Sonakhi was reportedly the highest paid actor on the show as she earned a whopping ₹2 crore for playing the double role of Rehana and Fareedan.
Manisha Koirala
Manisha charged ₹1 crore for essaying courtesan Mallikajaan in the epic-drama series.
Aditi Rao Hydari
Aditi was paid between ₹1-1.5 crore according to the portal. She portrayed Bibbojaan, Mallikajaan’s elder daughter.
Richa Chadha
Richa essayed the role of Mallikajaan’s foster daughter Lajwanti aka Lajjo. She was also paid equivalent to Manisha as she charged ₹1 crore for the series.
Sanjeeda Sheikh
Sanjeeda played the role of Rehana and Mallikajaan’s younger sister Waheeda. She earmed ₹40 lakh from the show.
Sharmin Sehgal
Sanjay’s nice Sharmin, Mallikajaan’s younger daughter, and was paid ₹30 lakh for playing her part in the epic-series.
Fardeen Khan
Fardeen, who made a comeback as Nawab Wali Bin Zayed-Al Mohammed charged ₹75 lakh for Heeramandi.
Hindustan Times has been unable to independently verify these figures. Heeramandi also features Shekhar Suman, Adhyayan Suman, Taha Shah Badussha, Farida Jalal and Shruti Sharma in crucial characters. It is available for streaming on Netflix.