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While Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi has received a lot of praise for its visual grandeur, the show has also faced criticism for allegedly glorifying the lives of courtesans and brothels. In a recent interaction, Sanjay defended his vision, explaining that, alongside the extravagant jewellery and costumes, he also depicted the inner turmoil that courtesans experienced.
Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, he said, “These women are, first and foremost, beautiful. They are very sophisticated, trained in etiquette. They knew the art of living in terms of poetry. They knew traditions and classical dancing and music. But they also had stories of turmoil and suffering… that was the fun of showing them dressed in all diamonds and silks only because the eyes were saying something else.”
Elaborating on how he portrayed the inner turmoil these courtesans faced, the filmmaker added, “They had inner politics. They had to fight as much to survive as any middle-class woman. I haven’t shown only the glamorous part; there is a lot of inner suffering in every close-up. We created turmoil from hearsay, some from real characters.”
Sanjay Leela Bhansali also defended Heeramandi by emphasising that it is a work of fiction and part of his imagination. “My work isn’t to be seen as if rooted in reality like a documentary on Lahore and Heeramandi. It’s an impression of Lahore, Heeramandi, courtesans, and their life. It can’t be realistic because I haven’t lived in that era to create it as clearly as that era. When you work on a piece of fiction, it is to create a world for you,” he explained.
The director’s next project, Love And War, will feature Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, and Vicky Kaushal in the lead roles.
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