Daily Times

Bollywood actor Richa Chadha has said that she prepared for her role in Heeramandi by watching Meena Kumari’s character in Pakeezah movie.

The actor said that she was inspired by the tragic depth of Meena Kumari’s role in the classic movie, an Indian media outlet reported.

“In the movie Pakeezah, Meena Kumari’s character has a certain tragic depth and complexity that resonated with Lajjo, the character that I play in the show,” she added.

The web series, based on courtesans and their stories is set in pre-independence Lahore, will have Richa Chadha playing the role Lajjo.

According to Chadha, she studied Kumari’s character in Pakeezah and watched her interviews for inspiration.

The highly-anticipated Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar is set to hit OTT platform on May 1.

Richa Chadha revealed that she worked on Meena Kumari’s voice, diction and studied Meena Kumari’s work, even imitating her.

According to her, the portrayal of Lajjo felt like she was following in the footsteps of Kumari.

Chadha went on to add that she also watched the Bollywood legend’s interviews consisting of over 50 hours and read her biography.

Other than Richa Chadha, the show includes Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Segal, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Fardeen Khan, Adhyayan Suman, Shekhar Suman and Taha Shah Badussha.

Touted to be an epic saga of love, power, revenge and freedom, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar is produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

In an earlier interview, the actor compared the upcoming show to hit Netflix series such as Narcos and Squid Game.

At a trailer launch event, she expressed belief in the Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed show’s capability to garner international popularity.

She asserted that Heeramandi will gain popularity among audiences across the world similar to other shows of Netflix like Narcos and Squid Game.