Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s OTT debut and magnum opus Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar has finally made it to Netflix. The series stars the talented cast of Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Sharmin Segal, Fardeen Khan and Shekhar Suman. Set during the pre-independence era of India, the series follows a group of courtesans led by the strict-as-nails, Mallikajaan. If you have been excited about watching this SLB masterpiece, read our review before you hit the play button.

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Grandeur that’ll delight you

If there’s one thing Sanjay Leela Bhansali specialises in, it’s grandeur. From Devdas to Padmaavat, each of SLB’s movies has been nothing short of a spectacle. Heeramandi is no different. From the grand sets to the intricately woven clothes of the characters, SLB has put a lot of thought into the minutiae of the series.

Heeramandi is undoubtedly a visual treat, but the storyline isn’t much to boast about. The series starts in 1920 when Rehaana (Sonakshi Sinha) takes her sister’s son and gives him away. Fast-forward 25 years, Mallikajaan (Manisha Koirala) rules the tawaifs of Heeramandi, and she is a strict matriarch. There is no give in Mallikajaan. She doesn’t even let her daughters Bibbo (Aditi Rao Hydari) and Alamzeb (Sharmin Segal) address her as ammi, instead, they are supposed to call her huzoor. There is clear animosity between Mallikajaan and Waheedan (Sanjeeda Sheikh). But the one person with whom Mallikajaan has some emotional connection is Lajjo (Richa Chadha). Lajjo’s pain at being scorned by her lover seems to pierce through Mallikajaan’s stone-cold heart. Unfortunately, all of these women are imprisoned in a gilded cage. Another tough battle is between Mallikajaan and Fareedan (Sonakshi Sinha), Rehaana’s daughter.

The nawabs of Lahore don’t seem to have a stronghold in the series. Instead, it is the women of Heera Mandi who steal the show. Even as the courtesans of Heera Mandi sing, dance and entice the nawabs, they do it with poise and dignity. At no point in the series do you see vulgarity on the screen as the women work their way towards the hearts and beds of the nawabs.

Heeramandi is filled with Urdu words and poetry that may seem a little difficult to grasp, but the show is largely cohesive. The trouble lies in the fact that it is a little slow to unravel. It is a lesson in history for sure, but it takes more than two episodes for history to present itself. Despite the beautiful visuals, with eight episodes at least an hour or more long, the show can get a bit tedious.

This review of Heeramandi is based on the first two episodes.

Can you watch Heeramandi with your family?: Explicit language is used in the show, and while there are allusions to sexual acts, there is no explicit nudity or sex in the first two episodes. 

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