Heeramandi Review: Manisha Koirala & Sonakshi Sinha Eats Out Everyone

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is making OTT debut on Netflix with his overhead anticipated series ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Baazar’ starring an ensemble cast, periodic setting and SLB (Sanjay Leela Bhansali) special high budget cinema experience.

Heeramandi is making rounds in the audiences since the project has started brewing and with the recently hosted special screening for Bollywood celebrities by the makers. The series explores pre-independence period of India set in Lahor around the scandalous yet value worthy place Heeramandi, Nawabs & British rulers.

As always SLB made sure to make his studded cast to look prosperous on screen despite their situations in the plot. He succeeds in creating the best settings to make it look like an actual periodical drama; huge royal sets & imperial costumes compliment his direction really well.

If somewhere the series loses its way is its effort to explore three different plotlines at the same time; there is a revenge side, a love story & the rebellion against British. A normal viewer won’t be able to catch all this in one go. Already so many characters living in very different situations of the plot makes it chaotic. Even some characters are unnecessary & mediocre.

On the acting front, Manisha Koirala is top notch, she’s effortlessly moved into her character & has posted an impressive show. Sonakshi Sinha could become your reason to watch this series till the climax, she’s the only one who challenges Manisha on screen as an actor and character too.

Aditi Rao Hydari & Sanjeeda Sheikh puts good performances but only in the solo scenes, Manisha & even Sonakshi eats out everyone in the screen space; though it also depends on the weightage of the character and the screen time they have given. Sharmin Segal emerges as a new ‘diamond from the bazaar,’ looks really impressive character wise but she also has a lot to work on moving forward. Richa Chadha’s character is something which doesn’t really fit in this belt, less screen time, abrupt character building & not so rewarded performance is all we get from her character.

Music, direction & cinematography are on point but the plot and screenplay is little unexpected on the scale. One can easily stop loopholes in it & audience may take too long to complete the series till the climax, but if you are a SLB fan or into periodic dramas or even wants to watch a good, cinematically fulfilled show you should definitely add this to your watchlist.

Rating- 3/5