Saturday, May 18

Lahore-Based X User Points Out Historical Inaccuracies In Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi

Edited by Fathimathu Shana
Lahore-Based X User Points Out Historical Inaccuracies In Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi (image@bhansali_produc)

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s OTT debut Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar is getting a mixed reaction. While many lauds Bhansali and his stars, Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari and several others for the spectacular making, some others are pointing out historical inaccuracies in the series.

An internet user pointed out that the locality and era of the story shown in the series are wrong. A young Lahore-based doctor, Hamd Nawaz wrote down a detailing she observed. She pointed out about how Bhansali’s series showed a stark difference from the original Heeramandi locality she has read about as a Pakistani resident.

She said she watched Bhansali’s Heeramandi, and found everything but Heeramandi. She said, either the filmmaker̥ shouldn’t have set the story in 1940’s Lahore or do not set it in Agra’s landscape, Delhi’s Urdu, Lakhnavi dresses and the 1840’s vibe. The user said, her “not-so-sorry Lahori self can’t really let it go”.

The user further went on to say that Bhansali should have at least googled about the actual “diamond bazar” to know the place. She said they nowhere near what it has been portrayed in the series. She also pointed out that Bhansali should definitely searched “beyond Bridal Couture walks. The courtesan never had the financial security to even remotely afford these jewels…t was not a street of glamour, but of exploitation, slavery and filthy poverty. And those who lived there, at least deserve to be seen as they were”. She further added that “If you call it Lahore, show Lahore”.

Regarding the song, she said “Sakal Ban” was not a Lahori thing to sing but “chaiti bowdi vay tabiba. The user said, “it was 1940s, Noor Jahan’s Punjabi Masterpieces were there – the cinema had platformed many singers from Heeramandi and none of them sounded like whatever Sufiana custard we’re seeing here”.

The Lahore-based doctor said she was pointing out all these because she have been to the place and interacted with people there. She said, “I rant as I’ve seen that area, interacted with people around there, spent my clinical rotations in hospitals there and I think its story definitely needs to be told, but only after someone actually comes and visits the area he is bringing to life”.

Several other X (formerly twitter) also came forward by saying that Bhansali’s Heeramandi was overrated and was not representing the “true picture”.