Before Sanjay Leela Bhansali became synonymous with grand cinematic spectacles, he crafted Khamoshi: The Musical in 1996, featuring Nana Patekar, Salman Khan, Manisha Koirala, and Seema Biswas. Despite its initial box office setback, Khamoshi garnered appreciation over the years. Now, after two decades, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Manisha Koirala reunited for the Netflix series Heeramandi, where Manisha essays the role of formidable “tawaif”, Mallikajaan. At the star-studded trailer launch event held in Delhi on Tuesday, Manisha Koirala shared her excitement about collaborating with Sanjay Leela Bhansali once again.
She said, “I waited 28 years for Sanjay to call me and it’s been a pleasure. It’s an honour to be working with that genius. A lot of hard work and pyaar mohabbat has gone into making Heermandi. We have made the show with so much love, and we expect you all to love it.”
Manisha Koirala also spoke about being away from films for a while and called it an “enriching experience.” She said, “When I was younger and did Saudagar – which was my first film – I was way different from what I am now. With years and the experiences that we have, we evolve. Being away from the industry has helped me look at life differently. As actors, we see ourselves and the world in a different light because the spotlight is always on us, but when you’re no longer the centre of attention and living on the periphery, your perspective changes. It has been a great spiritual experience and awareness. Being away from films was an enriching experience for me both as an actor as well as a person.”
While speaking about her character Mallikajaan in Heeramandi, Manisha Koirala said, ” Mallikajaan is unlike any other character that I have played in the past. It was possible only because of a genius like Sanjay Leela Bhansali who was behind the camera. He directed each of us so minutely and with a lot of detail that we looked so good. We don’t know what we have done. He extracts it from you. I have always been a director’s actor, and cinema is a director’s medium, but when you’re on a Bhansali set, you have to give your extra.”
Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, set against the backdrop of British India, delves into the intricate dynamics of Mallikajaan’s domain as she navigates challenges triggered by the return of Fareedan (Sonakshi Sinha), her late nemesis daughter. The series also stars Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Segal, and Sanjeeda Shaikh, Fardeen Khan, Shekhar Suman, Adhyayan Suman, and Taha Shah. Heeramandi will premiere on May 1.