It has been a week since the release of director Sanjay Leela Bhansali‘s debut web-series ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar‘ and the reviews have been rather mixed.
Prior to the show’s release, fans and audiences alike were buzzing about the new series that brought to screens the ‘untold’ stories of courtesans in Lahore. Set in pre-independent India of 1920, the series featured a rather glamorous and glitzy take on the life of the women of Heeramandi, which has both captivated viewers and also drawn criticism.
Amidst the online criticism that the show has been receiving for allegedly ‘distorting’ facts, a new report claims that the big-budget Bhansali production was envisioned as India’s response to the global phenomenon of ‘Squid Game.’
In a report on Variety, Monika Shergill, Vice President of content for Netflix India, has expressed optimism about the project’s potential to emulate the phenomenal success of the Korean web series, ‘Squid Game.’ She highlighted the ‘authenticity and exotic’ appeal of ‘Heeramandi,’ saying, “I’m hoping the story resonates [and] the craft of filmmaking comes together for people.”
In the months leading up to the series’ release, actress Richa Chadha, who plays Lajjo, a courtesan in ‘Heeramandi’, said in an interview with TOI, “I feel this show truly has the potential to travel outside India because in a sense, if you Google Bollywood extravaganza, the first thing that pops up is the creator of the show – Sanjay Leela Bhansali.So, I think it would be a great offering from India to the world. Shows like Narcos or Squid Game, come from Mexico and Korea. I think it is going to be one of those that travels, and it would be a great offering from India or the Indian subcontinent to the world.”
Meanwhile, director Bhansali expressed his profound gratitude for the blessing and support he received from the Tawaifs, who entrusted him with their stories. He remarked, “All of those Tawaifs who are existing now are blessing us that finally, we’re going to put them on the screen.”
Prior to the show’s release, fans and audiences alike were buzzing about the new series that brought to screens the ‘untold’ stories of courtesans in Lahore. Set in pre-independent India of 1920, the series featured a rather glamorous and glitzy take on the life of the women of Heeramandi, which has both captivated viewers and also drawn criticism.
Amidst the online criticism that the show has been receiving for allegedly ‘distorting’ facts, a new report claims that the big-budget Bhansali production was envisioned as India’s response to the global phenomenon of ‘Squid Game.’
In a report on Variety, Monika Shergill, Vice President of content for Netflix India, has expressed optimism about the project’s potential to emulate the phenomenal success of the Korean web series, ‘Squid Game.’ She highlighted the ‘authenticity and exotic’ appeal of ‘Heeramandi,’ saying, “I’m hoping the story resonates [and] the craft of filmmaking comes together for people.”
In the months leading up to the series’ release, actress Richa Chadha, who plays Lajjo, a courtesan in ‘Heeramandi’, said in an interview with TOI, “I feel this show truly has the potential to travel outside India because in a sense, if you Google Bollywood extravaganza, the first thing that pops up is the creator of the show – Sanjay Leela Bhansali.So, I think it would be a great offering from India to the world. Shows like Narcos or Squid Game, come from Mexico and Korea. I think it is going to be one of those that travels, and it would be a great offering from India or the Indian subcontinent to the world.”
Meanwhile, director Bhansali expressed his profound gratitude for the blessing and support he received from the Tawaifs, who entrusted him with their stories. He remarked, “All of those Tawaifs who are existing now are blessing us that finally, we’re going to put them on the screen.”