Netflix on Monday announced a second season for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’, just a month after the big-budget period drama series premiered on the platform.
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Excitement For Second season of ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’
Featuring Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Richa Chadha, and Sharmin Segal, the first season of the pre-Partition-set series focused on courtesans who held significant power and influence during India’s freedom struggle.
Bhansali, marking his series debut with Heeramandi, expressed gratitude for its success.
“I’m blessed by the love and appreciation for ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’. It’s been a joy to see the show resonate with audiences worldwide, and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner than Netflix. I’m happy to announce that we’ll be back with season 2,” the filmmaker said in a statement.
“Sanjay Leela Bhansali has intricately woven magic to bring ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’ to life. Watching audiences everywhere fall in love with this series — making it truly their own as a cultural phenomenon — has been hugely energizing and it thrills me to share that we will be back with Season 2,” added Monika Shergill, Vice-President Content, Netflix India.
Netflix India’s official Instagram page shared a video featuring a flash mob of 100 dancers at Mumbai’s Carter Road. Dressed in anarkalis and ghungroos, they danced to a medley of songs including Sakal Ban and Tilasmi Baahein from the series.
The post was captioned, “Mehfil phir se jamegi, Heeramandi: Season 2 jo aayega.”
What Bhansali Said About Heeramandi 2 Earlier
Bhansali had previously mentioned that the decision to greenlight Heeramandi for a second season rests with Netflix.
“Season 2, happens or not, happens with Netflix announcing if they want to go ahead with it. And they’re the best producers I’ve ever worked with in 30 years. I keep telling them, ‘I’ve done some good karma that I have had the chance to work with people like you all.’ But the decision to do season 2 comes from them, not from me,” the director told PTI.
Reception and Cast of Heeramandi
One of the most anticipated series of 2024, Heeramandi was praised for its drama, lavish sets, and intricately crafted costumes. However, a section of viewers criticized the series for romanticizing brothels and for historical and linguistic inaccuracies.
Remember when Sanjay Leela Bhansali first ventured into direction with the songs of Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 1994 romance 1942: A Love Story? Manisha Koirala celebrated love, romance, rebellion, and freedom, gracefully moving across lush landscapes with her luminescence. At the end of “Pyar Hua Chupke Se,” her union with a prince charming on horseback is interrupted by a protest march for India’s Independence. Now, 30 years later, Bhansali and Koirala reunite to tell another tale of freedom, both personal and political, in his debut series, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar.
Starring Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Richa Chadha, and Sharmin Segal, the first season of this pre-Partition-set show revolves around courtesans who wield significant power and influence during India’s freedom struggle. Bhansali, making his series debut with Heeramandi, expressed gratitude for the show’s success.
This Netflix India Original series highlights the progress both artists have made in honing their craft and defining their identities. Manisha portrays Mallika Jaan, the madam of a brothel in Heeramandi, a Lahore locality during pre-Independence India.
The casting is spot-on – the Manisha who lit up the screen in “Bahon Ke Darmiya,” the timeless melody from Bhansali’s 1996 directorial debut Khamoshi: The Musical, now dances or sings reluctantly. She takes immense pride in her past but is also decidedly stuck in that glory. With just one expression or gesture, we understand the life she’s led, the triumphs she’s achieved, and the innocence she’s lost. Heeramandi doesn’t need to play out in a linear biopic fashion like Gangubai Kathiawadi because shadows from their past sneak out from one corner of the Shahi Mahal or another.
One can sense the immense liberation Bhansali experienced in creating this show. Not only has the story stayed with him for years, but the long format also allows him to break free from his cinematic constraints. If you’re expecting Aishwarya Rai dashing across with fire on her pallu, Madhuri Dixit captivating with a filmy mujra, or Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone passionately making love, Heeramandi is not your typical Bhansali spectacle. Actors needn’t be stars here; the plot pacing leaves no room for leisurely slow-motion shots, and the tawaifs perform with grace, but not much fanfare. Ironically, each mujra insists that the tawaif (courtesan) is dancing only for herself, not for the nawabs, and certainly not for the audience.
The first season also featured Fardeen Khan, Taha Shah Badussha, Shekhar Suman, Adhyayan Suman, Farida Jalal, and Indresh Malik.
