From Kamathipura to Heera Mandi
Sanjay Bhansali tweaks sets for web series
Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who made a huge set of Mumbai’s Kamathipura, has made some changes to convert the 21st century representation of Mumbai’s red-light area into a replica of Shahi Mohalla, a similar area in Lahore famous in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Bhansali had recently announced that he was making a web series named Heera Mandi for Netflix on Lahore’s courtesans.
“Even as the shoot of Gangubai
Kathiawadi was nearing completion, Bhansali began getting the sets made. He did so with tight security, to keep it under wraps,” says BN
Tiwari of the Federation of Western
India Cine Employees. The
Federation members are part of
Bhansali’s team.
We learn that the Heera Mandi bazar, including shops selling footwear and musical instruments, forms part of the set, with the courtesans’ rooms built above the shops.
Heera Mandi was set up by Heera Singh Nabha, who brought women from Afghanistan after his victory in the Afghan Sikh War. Later, Ahmed Shah Abdali also set up brothels there.
Interestingly, the Karan Johar production Kalank has references to Heera Mandi too.
Heera Mandi which is slated to be directed by Vibhu Puri is also said to feature actresses like Sonakshi Sinha, Huma Qureshi, Nimrat Kaur and Manisha Koirala. An official announcement on the casting is awaited.
Bhansali had recently announced that he was making a web series named Heera Mandi for Netflix on Lahore’s courtesans.