It has now been over a week since Netflix’s Heeramandi released and, as you would expect, the conversations surrounding the show have been a concoction of good, great, bad, and ugly. Among the good and great, usually the bad and ugly take over in terms of making noise and that’s what happened here as well. Amid the other comments, one scenario has been how several critics and a set of general viewers have remarked the show over historical inaccuracies and it not being an accurate representation of Heeramandi.
Actor Sonakshi Sinha, who plays one of the leads in the show went on to slam this criticism and had her own take to it.
In a talk with ETimes, Sinha mentioned that they never promised anyone a history lesson and that Heeramandi – The Diamond Bazaar is fictionalised and the dream and vision of Sanjay Leela Bhansali. She acknowledged that a place like Heeramandi does exist in Lahore but the show never promised to showcase the real history of it.
She also cited an example saying how these same people love Bridgerton (Netflix) but even that’s a fictionalised version of what it was. Hence, she mentioned that people should value and look at Heeramandi from that lens and for its entertainment value. She concluded saying that SLB isn’t trying to be realistic and his work should be treated and viewed at for what it is.
Apart from Sinha, Heeramandi – The Diamond Bazaar has a large ensemble cast that includes Manisha Koirala, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Sharmin Segal among others.