Sonakshi Sinha on ‘gruesome act of violence’ against Manisha Koirala’s character in Heeramandi, Fareedan’s reaction to it: ‘Loved how bad she is’

Actor Sonakshi Sinha spoke about a pivotal scene in the Netflix series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, where her character, the vengeful courtesan Fareedan, has a change of heart after her rival, Mallikajaan, is sexually abused by a British police officer. The officer in question, played by Jason Shah, is one of Fareedan’s clients, but she can’t comprehend that he would go to such lengths against another woman, even if it is her nemesis.

Fareedan has a realisation, and subsequently offers an olive branch to Mallikajaan. In an interview with Zoom Entertainment, she spoke about the scene, and what it means for her character. Asked about the ‘gruesome act of violence’ against Mallikajaan, and how Fareedan reacts to it, Sonakshi said, “I think that’s the beauty of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, right? Even if it’s a character who is displaying these so-called negative emotions – rage, hatred, anger, revenge, jealousy – it’s all justified. She is like that for a reason. But she’s still human, she does feel pain, anger, she feels bad if something wrong has happened.”

Also read – Heeramandi: Dear Sanjay Leela Bhansali, must your queers always be unhappy (or worse, ignored)?

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She continued, “He portrays that really well. All his female characters are really strong, and they really have agency. They aren’t how they are just for the sake of being how they are. That’s why I love Fareedan. She’s determined, she will achieve her goals no matter what it takes. These are good qualities, no?” Asked if she had empathy for Fareedan, Sonakshi said, “Sometimes, yes. I loved how bad she is, but she has gone through a lot in her life.”

Created by Bhansali, Heeramandi debuted on Netflix on May 1, and was given a global push by the streaming giant. It scored impressive viewership in its first week, out-performing recent shows such as Baby Reindeer and Supersex, after one week. Heeramandi also stars Manisha Koirala, Sharmin Segal, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha and others. The series has received mixed reviews from critics and audiences.