‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’ to be a musical with 6-7 songs | The Express Tribune

In the upcoming series, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, helmed by the prolific filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the splendour of the narrative is to be complemented by the inclusion of a remarkable musical repertoire, as reported by Bollywood Bubble. 

This groundbreaking move introduces a total of six to seven songs, promising a visual spectacle that audiences can savour on their screens. Notably, this marks the first instance of an OTT show featuring songs of such a grand scale. 

Bhansali, renowned for his meticulous approach to music in his films, dedicated a substantial year to curating the musical elements for Heeramandi, a project that holds personal significance for him. The initial glimpse of the digital debut series by Bhansali, featuring a stellar ensemble cast including Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal, and Sanjeeda Sheikh, was nothing short of a visual extravaganza. 

The minute-long teaser of the offering sees the filmmaker return to his cinematic flair with much poise and magnificence. Sharing the first look on Instagram, Netflix India wrote in the caption, “Here’s your first look at legendary Indian creator Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s first series ever – Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar!” It explores stories of courtesans and the hidden cultural reality of the Heeramandi, a buzzing red-light district prior to the Partition of the subcontinent. The project is about love, betrayal, succession, and politics in the kothas, and also promises Bhansali’s trademark larger-than-life sets, multi-faceted characters and soulful compositions.

The makers in a recent statement described the show as ‘a mix of love, betrayal, succession, and politics in the kothas (house of courtesans)’. They said, “Heeramandi promises Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s signature style of larger-than-life stories, intricate and soulful characters, and rippling dynamics of a world rife with conflict during a defining time period for India. Like all of the auteur’s creations, Heeramandi will have unique compositions and music that linger with the audience, just like his stories.”

In a statement last year, Bhansali told ANI, “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.”

Scheduled for a global release on Netflix later this year, Heeramandi is set against a backdrop where ‘courtesans were once queens.’ This OTT release from Bhansali raises the bar for digital productions, promising nothing less than a spectacular viewing experience for audiences worldwide.

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