A still from Sakal Ban. (courtesy: YouTube)
Richa Chadha, who is a part of Heeramandi's stellar ensemble cast, during the series' trailer launch event in Delhi, said the Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed show has the potential to "travel outside the borders of India." Richa Chadha, who has previously worked with Sanjay Leela Bhansali in the film Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, plays a courtesan named Lajjo in Heeramandi. "This show truly has the potential to travel outside the borders of India because in a sense, if you go with Bollywood extravaganza, the first name that pops up is the creator of the show. This would be a great offering from India or the Indian subcontinent to the world," Richa Chadha said during the event.
Citing the examples of Netflix shows like Narcos and Squid Game (among Netflix's most watched series around the world), Richa Chadha said, "Few shows of Netflix that have travelled like Narcos and Squid Game from Mexico and South Korea, this is going to be one of those," she said, adding that to be in a frame created by Sanjay Leela Bhansali is "a dream for any budding actor who travels to Mumbai." The thriller Narcos chronicles the rise and fall of Colombian drug lords in the 1980s and 90s, while the South Korean drama Squid Game showcases the story of contestants caught in a dystopian world, where surviving kids' games is the only deciding factor for life and death.
Heeramandi boasts of an impressive ensemble cast that includes Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal and Sanjeeda Shaikh, Fardeen Khan, Adhyayan Suman, Shekhar Suman and Taha Shah Badussha.
Heeramandi will showcase the lives of courtesans, set against the backdrop of the Indian freedom struggle of the 1940s. The series can be summed up as an epic saga of love, power, revenge, and freedom. The series, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, is slated to release on May 1 on Netflix.