Sanjay Leela Bhansali BREAKS Silence on Audience Reactions to Heeramandi: 'What Stood Out for Me Was...'

Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali addressed the audiences’ reactions to Heeramandi for the first time. In a new interview, Bhansali opened up about making his OTT debut with the star-studded series and confessed he is overwhelmed with the response. He added that he was happy to see fans binge-watched the Netflix series multiple times. For the unversed, Heeramandi released earlier this month and it featured eight episodes.

Speaking with Variety, Bhansali said, “The reactions were overwhelming and heart-warming. What really stood out for me was that audiences have binge-watched ‘Heeramandi’ and even watched it twice or thrice over at a stretch. It was nice to see the kind of response we have received on social media and the kind of content people are creating around the show from different parts of the world.”

The Bajirao Mastani director also noted that he is happy the music of the series has caught everyone’s attention. “The music of the series has struck a cord with audiences which is very rare for an OTT show. It’s also reassuring to see how people connected with the story, the life of these courtesans and the emotional journeys of the characters, regardless of their cultural background,” he said.

Released on May 1, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar is Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s OTT debut. The show premiered on Netflix also also stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Segal Mehta, Farida Jalal, Fardeen Khan, Shekhar Suman and Adhyayan Suman in key roles. It explores the various aspects of a woman’s trials and tribulations.

News18 gave Showsha 4.5 stars and wrote, “Bhansali pens a near-perfect screenplay, and it is this rich writing that already forms an impressive foundation for the show. Each character is written with a lot of courage, empathy, and sensitivity. Here, each female character is so well-fleshed out, including those in the periphery, that they all deserve a spin-off of their own.”

Although critics praised the series, fans were not on board with Sharmin’s performances. Many criticised her acting. While her co-stars have defended her, Bhansali remained tight-lipped about it.