Sanjay Leela Bhansali reveals what Sharmin Segal told him about the portrayal of Alamzeb in Heeramandi: ‘I will underplay’

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who has directed Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, opens up about niece and actor Sharmin Segal's performance in the series. The actor has been trolled for her 'wooden expression' and poor acting.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali praises niece, Sharmin Segal and Manisha Koirala for their performance in Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar

It has been a few weeks since Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramani: The Diamond Bazaar debuted on Netflix, marking the filmmaker’s foray into the world of OTT. While the show, despite trending on the streamer, received a mixed response. However, Bhansali’s niece Sharmin Segal was singled out for criticism for her portrayal of Alamzeb, with the internet calling her out for her ‘wooden expressions’ and poor acting skills, and labelling her as a ‘nepo kid.’

Neither Sharmin nor Bhansali publicly addressed the criticism surrounding her portrayal, but Bhansali did provide insight into his on-set collaboration with Sharmin. “She kept saying, ‘Mama, I’ll underplay.’ I said, ‘Underplay? Are you thinking I’m going to ask you to overplay?” said Bhansali in a recent interview with Hindustan Times. Nevertheless, Bhansali acknowledged that he found her “new energy” fascinating. “I know that they (the new generation of actors) love me as much. I can see it in the way (they ask me), ‘Are you happy? Should we do one more take? Can we do it one more time? Are you okay? I can see that love in their eyes. Now that’s very rare,” he added.

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Sharmin, who has assisted Bhansali on his recent projects, made her acting debut in his 2019 production Malaal. Heeramandi, her streaming debut, serves as a potential re-launchpad as she plays the daughter of Sheeshmahal’s tawaif Mallikajaan (Manisha Koirala), longing for a life beyond her courtesan destiny. Her performance was criticised as bland by audiences, appearing lacklustre among the more experienced ensemble, compelling her to disable comments on an Instagram post featuring her with Bhansali at the recent premiere of Heeramandi in Los Angeles.

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Bhansali, who directed Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Black, Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat and Gangubai Kathiawadi, he reunited with his first leading lady, Manisha, whom he directed in Khamoshi: The Musical, for Heeramandi. Speaking about her performance, Bhansali said, “She sat on the set every time for 7 hours, putting mehendi and then giving two shots. She’d go home, put the mehendi for seven hours again the next day, give two shots again and then go home. It’s unbearable,”

He further added that the actor gave him the best takes in those two shots. “The scene in which she says, ‘Chaand baramde mein utarta nahi.’ I knew she got her sur there itself. She looked just splendid. So each one is giving me something to take home,” he recounted.

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