Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s series ‘Heeramandi’ has captured the hearts of his fans, but it has also faced criticism for its romanticized portrayal of the lives of ‘tawaifs’ and ‘kothas.’ Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri recently expressed his disapproval of the series, citing that it glorifies the lives of courtesans and brothels.
Vivek shared a post from a Pakistani doctor pointing out inaccuracies in the depiction of Heeramandi, Lahore’s red-light district. He highlighted Bollywood’s inclination to glamorize such places, stating that brothels represent ‘human injustice and suffering,’ rather than luxury and beauty.
He penned, “A brilliant critique by @SophieSchol. 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.”
Vivek asked his followers to consider the consequences of romanticizing human suffering in art. He continued, “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? Pl discuss.”
Heeramandi explores the lives of tawaifs during the Indian independence movement from the 1920s to the 1940s in Lahore’s Heera Mandi. The series boasts a talented cast including Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal, Taha Shah Badussha, Shekhar Suman, and Adhyayan Suman in pivotal roles.
The trailer was released earlier last month and it transported fans to a time when courtesans reigned as monarchs. Through the stories of courtesans and their clients, set against the turbulent backdrop of the Indian Independence struggle in the 1940s, the series investigates the cultural reality of the namesake area of Heera Mandi.
News18 Showsha gave the series 4.5 stars. About Sonakshi, the review read, “Sonakshi Sinha plays the antagonist in Heeramandi. She is stunning, shrewd and sardonic. And she fears no one. She single-handedly fights a battle to win justice for her late mother and has no qualms about walking on the path of vices for the same. At the end, the women are all so much more than just tawaifs.”
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