Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has criticised Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. The director of The Kashmir Files has accused the Netflix web series of romanticising brothels. His remarks on Bhansali and Bollywood, in general, came as he admitted that he hadn’t watched the show.
“I haven’t seen the show, but I have visited Heeramandi in Lahore a few times. Bollywood has this tendency to romanticize courtesans and brothels. It’s a sad commentary because brothels have never been places of opulence, glamour or beauty. These are monuments of human injustice, pain and suffering. Those unfamiliar with this should watch Shyam Benegal’s Mandi,” wrote the director.
“Also, a question we must ask: Does creativity give us the freedom to glamorize human suffering? Is it okay to make a film where slum life is depicted as a life of abundance? Is it okay to portray slum dwellers wearing clothes as if they are attending an Ambani wedding?” he added.
Agnihotri’s tweet came while appreciating another critique of the Netflix web series. It came from a Pakistani doctor.
“Just watched Heeramandi. Found everything but heermandi in it,” wrote Hamd Nawaz. “I mean either you don’t set your story in 1940’s Lahore, or if you do- you don’t set it in Agra’s landscape, Delhi’s Urdu, Lakhnavi dresses and 1840’s vibe. My not-so-sorry Lahori self can’t really let it go.”
Heera Mandi is a market in Lahore’s Walled City in Pakistan. It is known as the red light district of Lahore.
Netizens react
“Honestly when I saw the trailer. There’s no Lahori accent in urdu/hindi spoken by Sonakshi Sinha. When Bansali made Bajirao Mastani. He made sure Marathi accent in dialogues of characters,” wrote one user in reply to Agnihotri’s post.
“Film transcends the limits of imagination, capturing both the depths of pain and the heights of glory. It takes us beyond the boundaries of reality, allowing viewers to escape into a world of fantasy for a brief moment and creating memories that last for years,” wrote another.
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Basant Kasayap is an entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to Bollywood to regional cinema, she offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
