Pakistani viewer watches ‘Heeramandi’, calls out Sanjay Leela Bhansali over inaccuracies

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s latest series “Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar” has been trending on social media ever since its release. Some have loved the show, some have had their reservations. While many have admired Bhansali’s opulence and grandeur, many have argued that the show is factually incorrect with an incoherent story.

 One viewer from Pakistan, who goes by the name of Hamd Nawaz on X, said she found everything but “Heeramandi” in the show. The actual “Heeramandi” is a red light area in Lahore. In a long thread on X, Hamd listed out in inaccuracies in the show and stated that it does not correctly represent 1940s Lahore.

“Just watched “Heeramandi”. Found everything but “Heermandi” in it. I mean either you don’t set your story in 1940’s Lahore, or if you do- you don’t set it in Agra’s landscape, Delhi’s Urdu, Lakhnavi dresses and 1840’s vibe. My not-so-sorry Lahori self can’t really let it go (sic),” Nawaz said at the beginning of her thread.  She then listed out the issues she had with the sets, language, dialogues, soundtrack, and attires, among other things. “To begin with, where exactly is it set? Lake Como? Amalfi Coast? The most evident landmark still visible from every building in today’s remnants of Heera Mandi is the Shahi Qilla- Grand Mosque’s doom and minarets skyline. If you call it Lahore, show Lahore,” the user said.

She added that if one walks through the actual Heera Mandi, it spans from Taxali Gate to modern-day Cheet Ram Road and does not have a single courtyard. “Those were multi-storey 5/10 Marla Kothas/Makans at max. The social/financial strata it shows never even existed,” the user wrote.

She also said that unlike what is shown in the series, Heera Mandi was not a street of glamour but that of exploitation, slavery and filthy poverty. “Also, I didn’t know peer-e-kamil had already been written in the 1940s. Chalo, this is somewhat ignore-able. Anyways Yar, it was not a street of glamour, but of exploitation, slavery and filthy poverty. And those who lived there, at least deserve to be seen as they were.”

The user also criticised actress Sharmin Sehgal’s performance. She said the weakest link in the series was “the nepo-baby going around with a frozen face, lip fillers and expressionless, rote Urdu,” referring to Sharmin Sehgal’s Alamzeb.

Several Indian fans agreed with Hamd’s review of the show and recalled Bhansali’s artistic liberties in his previous projects like “Devdas”, “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” and more.

“This first time I agree with some Pakistani person. I was surprised to hear urdu. I born in city just 25 miles from Lahore, tarntaran. every where people speak Punjabi. Forget urdu, even speaking Hindi is challenging. I used to joke , people speak hindjabi. Who wears those dresses. It looks like a place which never existed!” wrote on user.

“Why did you expect authenticity from Bhansali? Take “hum dil de chuke sanam,” Rajasthan, Sabyasachi, Paan/Gutka, ghaghra, songs every 5 minutes, mixed up language, put it in a mixer and you get #Heeramandi. I bet if he can even locate Heeramandi original location on Google Maps.” wrote another.

“I stopped watching SLB after Devdas. Insufferable, barf-inducing,  over-the-top, inauthentic characters and worlds,....Not a single redeeming quality in his movies, only self-indulgent claptrap,” wrote another user. (IANS)

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