Is 'Heeramandi' glorifying courtesans? Co-director Snehil Dixit clarifies
Is ‘Heeramandi’ glorifying courtesans? Co-director Snehil Dixit clarifies
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Netflix series, ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar,’ has been receiving polarising reviews from the audience. Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri criticised the period drama, stating, “Bollywood has this tendency to romanticise courtesans and brothels.” The show’s co-director, Snehil Dixit Mehra, countered Agnihotri’s comment. In a recent interview, she said, “Heeramandi isn’t about glorifying tawaifs.”
“I believe that he hasn’t seen the show. Heeramandi isn’t about the glorification of tawaifs. The show is set against the backdrop of the 1920s and the 1940s. At that time, tawaifs were ruling the roost,” Mehra told News18.
She also highlighted that while researching for ‘Heeramandi,’ she, along with Bhansali, realised that the courtesans were paying more taxes than the ‘nawabs’ during the 1920s and 1940s.
“We did extensive research before making the show. There was an insight that we found during our research which was that these tawaifs were so rich that even when they fudged their numbers, they were paying more taxes than the nawabs,” Mehra added.
Agnihotri, while admitting that he hasn’t watched ‘Heeramandi’ yet, wrote on X, “I haven’t seen the show, but I have visited Heeramandi in Lahore a few times. Bollywood has this tendency to romanticize courtesans and brothels. It’s a sad commentary because brothels have never been places of opulence, glamour, or beauty. These are monuments of human injustice, pain, and suffering. Those unfamiliar with this should watch Shyam Benegal’s Mandi (sic).”
‘The Kashmir Files’ director continued, “Also, a question we must ask: Does creativity give us the freedom to glamorize human suffering? Is it okay to make a film where slum life is depicted as a life of abundance? Is it okay to portray slum dwellers wearing clothes as if they are attending an Ambani wedding? Pl discuss (sic).”
Watch | The trailer of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi
Explaining the stance of the makers of ‘Heeramandi,’ Mehra elucidated the story they have tried to tell through the show. “With the freedom struggle and the British trying to break the nautch girls, they lost their dignity in the process. This is the story we’ve chosen to tell. It’s not about the glorification of the tawaifs; it’s just what the story is. He (Agnihotri) should watch the series first to understand what we’re trying to convey,” she added.
‘Heeramandi’ is backed by an ensemble cast, including actors Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, and others. The eight-episode series started streaming on Netflix on May 1.