Sanjay Leela Bhansali Says THESE Actors Were Among First Choices For Heeramandi

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is gearing up for his web series debut with the upcoming show Heeramandi. Premiering on Netflix today, May 1, the series features Aditi Rao Hydari, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chaddha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Manisha Koirala and Shekhar Suman among others in pivotal roles. Speaking about the show during the LA premiere, the filmmaker shared that the show was in the making for several years and the cast changed many times.

Which Pakistani actors were offered a role in Heeramandi? 

Sanjay Leela Bhansali along with some cast members of Heeramandi attended the show’s premiere in Los Angeles on April 29. Speaking at the premiere the ace filmmaker shared his vision and perspective of the series. He also revealed that the show was helmed as a film first. 

The director also mentioned that he wanted to cast Pakistani actors Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan and Imran Abbas in the show at some point. In a recent media appearance, actor Imran Abbas confirmed being offered a Bhansali project. For the unversed, after the Uri attack in 2016, Pakistani artists were banned from working in Bollywood. In conclusion, Bhansali shared that he is ‘very happy’ with the cast that came on board the show. A video of the same has surfaced on the social media site Reddit.   

Which Indian actors were supposed to be part of Heermandi before the final cast? 

Not just Pakistani actors, several Indian actors too were offered the project before the maker zeroed down on the current cast. Talking about the cast, Bhansali shared, “This was 18 years ago so at one point it was Rekha ji, Kareena and Rani Mukerji. Then it changed into another cast, then it changed into another cast.” He asserted that this was when Heeramandi was “supposed to be a film”. While Bhansali has collaborated with Rani in the movie Black, he is yet to work with Rekha and Kareena. As per reports, the Jab We Met actress was supposed to work in Ram Leela, which did not materialise and so she vowed to never work with the director again. 

Did you know Heeramandi was in the making for 18 years? 

During the same event, Bhansali also shared that it had taken him almost 18 years to make Heeramandi. He recalled no OTT platform being present at the time when he first thought about the project. He shared, “The script for Heeramandi was charming, vast, and epic. The story was too long for a film, and I had the concept 18 years ago, but there were no OTT platforms then.” 

He added that through OTT he can explore all characters in the series and give them equal opportunity. He added, “I finally saw an opportunity to do it properly on an OTT platform, where you can develop it and enjoy each character. This story has taken the longest—18 years of nurturing, cherishing, and living it.” The series transports viewers to the 1940s, delving into the lives of courtesans filled with love, betrayal, power, and the struggle for independence. Alongside Sanjeeda, the series features Sonakshi Sinha, Manisha Koirala, Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Sharmin Sehgal in lead roles. Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar premieres on Netflix on May 1.