Daily Times

Indian TV actor Zeeshan Khan has criticised Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi web series for doing ‘injustice’ to Urdu language.

The star-studded web series was released on Netflix on May 1, leaving the audience mesmerised by the grand sets, visuals and music.

However, the Khatron Ke Khiladi actor Zeeshan Khan expressed disappointment over the actors’ inability to properly pronounce Urdu words in their dialogues.

Taking to Instagram, he said that no one could speak Urdu word apart from Farida Jalal in Heeramandi.

According to him, the cast of the web series had trouble pronouncing Urdu word.

Khan lamented the ‘injustice’ done to the language in Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar.

It is pertinent to mention that the cast of the web series includes Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Sehgal, Sanjeeda Shaikh and Richa Chadha.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s digital debut Heeramandi explores the ‘stories of courtesans’ living in the red light district of Lahore, during the pre-independent India.

In a recent interview, he admitted he wanted to cast Pakistani A-listers Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan and Imran Abbas in the project.

SLB disclosed that Pakistani stars Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan and Imran Abbas, who have proven their mettle in Bollywood in the past, were among his initial choices for the cast.

“It was a film back then. I then also thought about Mahira Khan, the Pakistani actress, and Imran Abbas and Fawad Khan were also in my mind at one point in time. But I ended up with this ensemble cast,” he said. The web series features recreations of iconic old melodies including a song from Pakeezah movie.

The music album of Heeramandi includes Phool Gendwa Na Maaro which is a recreation of a song from Dooj Ka Chand movie released in 1964, Pinkvilla reported.

Another song of Heeramandi titled Nazariya Ki Maari is a revamped version of a track with the same title from 1972’s hit movie Pakeezah.

A melody written by Sufi singer Amir Khusrau was also included in the web series. The song titled Sakal Ban was the first song of Heeramandi.