Daily Times

Acclaimed Indian filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s debut web series, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, has hit streaming platform Netflix today.

Bhansali discussed his vision about the big-budget show at its Los Angeles premiere. He revealed that he had originally planned to make the show as a film, starring Rekha, Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukerji. The filmmaker claimed that the concept for Heeramandi had been with him for 18 years, but the film never came to be because the story was so big.

“This was 18 years ago, so at one point it was Rekha ji, Kareena and Rani Mukerji,” Bhansali remarked about the cast in a conversation with Lilly Singh at the film’s premiere. It then transformed into a different cast and yet another one, he added.

Bhansali revealed that this was his idea when Heeramandi was “supposed to be a film”, as the host expressed her surprise. Heeramandi is set in the world of courtesans and nawabs in pre-independence Lahore. The director/producer also revealed that he had even considered casting Pakistani actors Imran Abbas, Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan in the project at one point, but “then it all changed.”

Previously, Imran Abbas had even disclosed that he had received an offer to appear in the show in an interview on ARY.

“I didn’t say no to Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi, it got shelved. Aditya Roy Kapur’s role in Guzaarish was first offered to me as well,” he had said in a chat with Nida Yasir.

At the end of the talk, SLB expressed his satisfaction with the current cast. Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Segal, Taha Shah, Fardeen Khan, and Shekhar Suman are among the stars who are part of Heeramandi.

Bhansali revealed in the same chat that he shot for the show for more than 300 days and that it has been in development for nearly three years. Following Heeramandi, Bhansali is excited for his upcoming film, Love and War, starring Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal.