When you hear the name Sanjay Leela Bhansali, you immediately visualise exquisite sets, cinema in its most grand form and compelling storytelling, generally from a long bygone era. The filmmaker is known for perfection in making period pieces like Devdas, Bajirao Mastani, and Padmaavat and is currently gaining acclaim for his OTT debut Heeramandi.
Heeramandi tells the story of an era when courtesans had royal status. It aims to portray the themes of love and betrayal experienced by courtesans in pre-independence India. Set against the backdrop of the 1940s freedom struggle, the web series delves into the lifestyles and social status of courtesans during that era.
It is a known fact that Sanjay Leela Bhansali always chases perfection and one of his leading actresses from Heeramandi narrates an incident that shows the level of perfection he desires in his projects. In an interview with Rediff, Aditi Rao Hydari shared her insights on working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
When asked about her opinion on Bhansali’s working style with actors, she contradicted the general belief that the filmmaker is a stern taskmaster. Aditi described him as a versatile individual, rich in human emotions, art, music, and dance. Despite his extensive experience in the industry, she highlighted Bhansali’s continuous quest for excellence, which serves as an inspiration to everyone involved in his projects.
During the same interview, Aditi discussed the thorough preparation for the web series and shared more behind-the-scenes details. She recounted a fiery scene showcased in the series trailer, which was executed with great care. Aditi mentioned that for this scene, Sanjay Leela Bhansali advised her to refrain from eating beforehand.
The actress shared that the director believed that starving her before the scene would capture the intensity required in the scene. She said, “ One day, he kept me hungry because I had to do a scene which was full of fire. He said, ‘Aaj khana mat khana’, (Don’t eat today) and that helped me get that simmering sense of injustice.”
Along with Aditi Rao Hydari, other actresses in the series include Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chaddha, Sanjeeda Sheikh and Sharmin Segal. The series was released on Netflix on May 1.