Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Netflix to produce magnum opus series Heeramandi

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, whose debut film Khamoshi: The Musical (1996) completed 25 years on 9 August, has announced his new collaboration with Netflix. Titled Heeramadi, the magnum opus series will be set in Lahore, in the Heeramandi district, in pre-Independent India.

The web-series will follow the courtesans of Lahore and their stories of “love, betrayal, succession and politics in the kothas”.

According to the makers, Heeramandi will feature “Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s trademark larger-than-life sets, multi-faceted characters and soulful compositions”.

Speaking about his latest project, one he has waited nearly 15 years to get made, Bhansali said, “Heeramandi is an important milestone in my journey as a filmmaker. This is an epic, first-of-its-kind series based on the courtesans of Lahore. It is an ambitious, grand and all-encompassing series; therefore I am nervous yet excited about making it. I am looking forward to my partnership with Netflix and bringing Heeramandi to audiences all over the world.”

The filmmaker’s latest project Gangubai Kathiawadi, starring Alia Bhatt, is the story of a young woman who is conned into a life of prostitution and later becomes the de facto head of the brothel in Kamathipura. The feature is yet to be released.

Monika Shergill, Netflix India’s vice-president of content, said that Bhansali creates his own stunning brand of cinema, with emotionally charged storytelling, magnificent sets and unforgettable characters.

She said, “We congratulate him on completing 25 phenomenal years and giving masterpieces for generations to cherish. We are beyond excited to bring his extraordinary creative vision to storytelling on Netflix. Heeramandi will be a story that will intrigue audiences and transport them into a world of incredible grandeur, beauty and harshness at the same time."

Richa Chadha, who has worked with Bhansali before in Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela (2013), has been rumoured to star in the series.