Bollywood has its own way of telling stories from across the world, and many times they may not be the most accurate. Especially, when it comes to Pakistan! However, keeping all the war-mongering narratives aside, a fresh new teaser from ace filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali for his upcoming debut web-series Heera Mandi is out – and after a really long time, it has us excited!
From featuring some of the biggest names from the industry to creating the opulent magic the filmmaker has become famous for, there’s a lot that this little teaser brings out and it definitely makes us think Bollywood might have finally gotten it right!
What did we love and what more did we figure out from this little sneak peek? Diva explores…
The Casting
Ringing in the series with an ensemble cast that make it oh-so-palpable, SLB has done it again by roping in names like Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Sehgal, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Fardeen Khan, Richa Chadha, and Shehkar Suman, amongst others, to be a part of this grand production! This is going to guarantee an explosive mix of chemistry on the OTT platform and we’re here for it!
The Production Value
Let’s not forget who we are talking about here! If there’s one Bollywood name out there who knows how to make everything look just about perfect, it’s Sanjay Leela Bhansali! Which is why it comes off as no surprise that we do see Heera Mandi reimagined in grandiosity. While rather far from historically being accurate – even for pre-partition standards – the scale on which it is all done, makes it so regal. As long as there are no lakes or mountains in the middle of Lahore (we’re looking at you, Kalank), we’ll root for it!
The Drama
A story touted to be of love, power and freedom – and based on an original script by journalist and writer Moin Beg, Heera Mandi has all the right ingredients to make it a hot-seller for a market obsessed with stories of our culture and past glory. The teaser showcases some pieces of this, where we see glimpses of anger, joy and despair all entwined with each other. Now one just has to see how each character does justice to a story revolving around the iconic courtesans of Lahore, who once were the shining jewel in the heritage of the Mughal empire.
The Runtime
Divided into 8 episodes, Heera Mandi has a bigger chance of fleshing out a story than one could in the runtime of a film. The hope remains that each character is given their own solid time through the series, and that the immense talent featured can get their fair share! Well, that only time will tell, but for now, its 8 episode streak is already keeping up on the edge of our seats!
What did you think about the teaser? Tell us in the comments section below.