"Then it changed into another cast"
Sanjay Leela Bhansali spoke about his new show Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar and revealed that he had envisioned a completely different cast.
The show premiered on Netflix on May 1, 2024.
It has an all-star cast but the filmmaker revealed that Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan were his first choice.
While speaking to Lilly Singh at the Los Angeles premiere, Sanjay said that he came up with the idea of making Heeramandi as a film 18 years ago.
Revealing a completely different cast, he said:
“This was 18 years ago, so at one point, it was Rekha ji, Kareena (Kapoor Khan) and Rani Mukerji.
“Then it changed into another cast, then it changed into another cast.
“It was a film back then.
“I then also thought about Mahira Khan, the Pakistani actress, and Imran Abbas and Fawad Khan were also in my mind at one point of time. But I ended up with this ensemble cast.”
Imran Abbas had previously said he was offered a role in Heeramandi.
He said: “Although I didn’t say no to Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi, it got shelved.”
At the time, Imran’s comments were criticised as many did not believe him.
Heeramandi stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Segal, Taha Shah, Fardeen Khan, and Shekhar Suman, among others.
Speaking about the cast, Sanjay Leela Bhansali said:
“I am very happy with the cast. These are the girls who are extremely talented and beautiful.
“They had the time to give to the show because if you had been busy, you wouldn’t be able to give those 350 days that I shot for.
“You won’t be able to give that time and commitment because you are busy and everywhere in ads and events.”
“Popular actors don’t have time.”
Detailing what the show is about, Sanjay previously said:
“This is a story of love, power, freedom, and extraordinary women, their desires, and struggles.
“It marks a new milestone in my journey.
“In Netflix, we found the ideal partner – one who not only shares our love for storytelling but also possesses the unparalleled capability to bring our series to the most diverse and global audience imaginable.”
Fans have been loving Heeramandi since its release and are taking to social media to voice their opinion.
One said: “Watching Heeramandi, what a spectacle.”
Others said the show is best suited for the big screen.
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