Why Do Courtesans and Brothels Play a Major Role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Films? Director of Heeramandi Discloses

Several of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s most well-known pieces are set in brothels or provide insight into the life of courtesans. Characters from similar backgrounds have been created by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, such as Madhuri Dixit’s Chandramukhi in Devdas and Alia Bhatt’s Gangubai Kathiawadi. Even in the newly published film Heeramandi, the plot is on courtesans’ life and how they deal with love, power, and nationalism. This begs the question: Why do courtesans and brothels feature prominently in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s finest works? The solution is straightforward and may be found in his early years.

Raised in Mumbai’s Kamathipura, a red-light district, is Sanjay Leela Bhansali. “You’re sensitive to what you see as a child,” Sanjay Leela Bhansali said in a previous interview with Film Companion. “How can a person’s rate be Rs 20?” Sanjay continued. The items that remained in my memory were these. But I was unable to fully inform them. It was Chandramukh who helped me locate them. We cannot be identified; we are priceless in our own right. For Rs 5, Rs 20, or Rs 50, we cannot be sold. It is not human.

Sanjay said, “They make themselves up,” in reference to the women and their tales in these regions. Look at the sadness, all the paint and powder they poured in. How can you hide your sorrow? You are unable to. Even the best makeup artist cannot remove it. You are unable to. These are instances that mattered to me as a filmmaker.

Heeramandi, a web series by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, debuted on Netflix on May 1. Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Manisha Koirala, Sharmin Segal, Taha Shah Badussha, Adhyayan Suman, Shekhar Suman, Fardeen Khan, Vaishnavi Ganatra, Jayati Bhatia, and Shruti Sharma are among the actors who appear in it.

News18 rated the show 4.5 out of 5. According to our evaluation, Bhansali writes a script that is almost flawless, and the show’s rich writing already creates an amazing basis. With a great deal of bravery, empathy, and compassion, each character is penned. Every female character in this story, including the supporting ones, is so well-developed that they all need their own spin-off.

“In addition to his skillful use of the maximalist style to tell stories, which includes crafting some beautiful vignettes in which every frame seems to be an exquisite oil painting, Bhansali has won the respect and admiration of a number of film experts for the way he presents intricate dance sequences. He is largely responsible for preserving the song-and-dance heritage in Hindi films at a time when realism is making a strong push to replace it. Heeramandi thus doesn’t let us down either. Sakal Ban embodies the beauty and sisterhood of Heeramandi in a stunning way. The review also said, “In actuality, every lady has a mujra sequence, and they’re all captivating pieces.