Shekhar Suman defends ‘poor little’ Sharmin Segal’s ‘expressionless’ acting in Heeramandi: ‘The criticism can destroy her’

Shekhar Suman came out in support of Sharmin Segal and said that her portrayal of Alamzeb in Heeramandi was refreshing.

Sharmin Segal played Alamzeb in Heeramandi. (Photo: Sharmin/Instagram)

Ever since Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar debuted on Netflix on May 1, a section of the audience has targeted actor Sharmin Segal for her perceived dull portrayal of the character Alamzeb. She has been unfavorably compared to her fellow cast members, with social media critics describing her performance as ‘expressionless’ and seemingly forcing her to disable comments on Instagram. Sharmin played Alamzeb, the daughter of the courtesan Mallikajaan (Played by Manisha Koirala). Now, co-star Shekhar Suman has urged people to be ‘slightly kind’ towards her.

In an interview with TOI, Shekhar said that Bhansali was aware of the potential criticism that come their way because Sharmin happens to be his niece, but still chose her because of her talent and previous work. He mentioned that Sharmin auditioned 16 times for Heeramandi, and urged people to be fair and stop the harsh criticism that forced her to disable her comments. He said, “What has happened is that the world has been too harsh on the poor little thing. She’s a young girl and the criticism can destroy her.”

Internet users have been sharing several of Sharmin’s scenes, including the one where her romantic partner Tajdar dies. Her stiff acting wasn’t appreciated. However, Shekhar defended her performance.

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A post shared by Sharmin Segal Mehta (@sharminsegal)

Shekhar said, “Everwhen she was informed about Taidar’s demise, she is straight faced. Because at times when you are shocked, you obviously don’t know how to react, It’s not that whenever you hear about a tragedy, you start shouting, beating your chest.” Shekhar explained that Bhansali wouldn’t have chosen her for the role if he didn’t believe in her. The famously exacting filmmaker also had the option to demand multiple takes if there were issues. Shekhar said that he found Sharmin’s performance refreshing, because even in real life, there are people who are ‘reticent’ and ‘hardly emote’.

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A post shared by Sharmin Segal Mehta (@sharminsegal)

He thinks it’s the character that influenced her performance, not the other way around. He added, “Let’s not be so harsh on any actor, you have to be slightly kind. You need to know that It’s a character which Mr Bhansali has visualised.”

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Taha Shah Badussha also defended Sharmin and said in an interview with Zoom, “I have worked with her and I do know as an actor she has tried her best.” Aditi also voiced her opinion in an interview with Puja Talwar and said, “It’s horrible to pick on anybody. I know some people like something and some people don’t. There is a way to say it. It can get very mean.”

Heeramandi is currently streaming on Netflix. The show also stars Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanjeeda Sheikh and Richa Chadha in pivotal roles.

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