Aditi Rao Hydari, Manisha Koirala Talk About Collaborating With Sanjay Leela Bhansali For Heeramandi

Aditi Rao Hydari, Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Sanjeeda Sheikh and Richa Chadha will headline the upcoming web series Heeramandi. The series, created by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, will debut on Netflix on May 1. Ahead of the release, the cast and crew of the movie came together for the trailer launch held in New Delhi today. The actresses shared their experience of working on Heermandi and Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

Aditi Rao Hyari on collaborating with Sanjay Leela Bhansali 6 years after Padmaavat 

Newly engaged, Aditi Rao Hydari had collaborated with Bhansali on 2018's Padmaavat but found her latest project to be a dream come true and her role of Bibbojaan, a revolutionary courtesan, special. "He decided what I should play... That’s Sanjay sir’s magic, he pushes you to your extreme. He makes you believe in what you don't know. He really makes you live the dream you dreamt at one point and didn’t know how you would get to it. He makes it happen for you," she said.

She shared that they are all ‘blessed’ to be a part of the director’s vision. She added, “I love his love for cinema and his love for every second of what he does and what he believes in. We all are blessed to be a part of his vision and I really miss him today because this is truly his baby” 

I waited 28 years for Sanjay to call me: Manisha Koirala on working on Heeramandi 

Manisha Koirala, who starred in Bhansali's 1996 feature film debut Khamoshi: The Musical said working with the director, known for his opulent vision, was a "pleasure then, and an honour now". She plays the role of the all-powerful courtesan Mallikajaan. "I waited 28 years for Sanjay to call me. It was a pleasure back then and it has been a pleasure and honour again to be working with the genius. A lot of love and passion has gone into creating it and we hope you like it," she said.

Heeramandi is set against the backdrop of pre-independence India and explores the cultural reality of Heeramandi, a dazzling district, through the stories of courtesans and their patrons set against the tumultuous backdrop of the Indian freedom struggle of the 1940s. The series will premiere on Netflix on May 1

(With inputs from PTI)