Heeramandi Characters Seem To Come Out Of Some Very Basic Research Which Got Lost In Translation!(Photo Credit –Facebook)
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Finally, the weekend is over, and we assume most of us have watched Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus, Heeramandi, streaming on Netflix. Though if you haven’t watched it yet, we might suggest that you skip this piece only if you watch it and come back later to share the same sentiments we have felt watching Heeramandi.
Why, I say we? While this piece might be entirely my personal opinion, out of all the film enthusiasts I have discussed the series with, none seem to be in awe of it. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
There are much bigger problems with Heeramandi than likeability, which is a very subjective opinion based on differences in perspectives and gazes. However, why would one collectively not like it? This is the major issue we’ll try to decode, taking up almost all the major characters of this series.
There is a lot that is wrong with Heeramandi, and we are trying to decode what went wrong as a collective, taking references from the character sketches of the web series.
The Tawaifs
Heeramandi is said to be a place full of Tawaifs. Clad with gold, gems, and jewels, these women look as elegant and as rich as the richest in the country could have been. The web series revolves around five Tawaifs – Mallikajaan (Manisha Koirala), Sonakshi Sinha plays Fareedan, Aditi Rao Hydari as Bibbo Jaan, Lajjo played by Richa Chaddha, Waheedajaan played by Sanjeeda Sheikh.
All of them except Aditi’s Bibbo Jaan and Richa Chaddha’s Laajo are evil, jealous, and insecure, and honestly, all of them seem to enjoy their privilege and position. In fact, throughout the eight episodes, not once do you see resistance in these women for their place or an urge to break free. So finally, when they decide to come together for Azaadi, a cause that seemed to be only Bibbo Jaan’s priority, the motive of the show seems ludicrous.
Generally, whenever you have seen the stories of Tawaifs, there might be a moment where your heart aches for them, even in the badly made Begum Jaan or Aishwarya Rai’s Umraao Jaan remake. But Heeramandi never cares to create that pathos since it is too obsessed with making its women look perfect shades of sunshine and glitter, the perfect amount of gold, walking in probably couture from some big designers’ wedding collections. Does one really think that is how Tawaifs might have walked and talked in the 40s?
Tawaifs Who Can’t Dance!
I am not sure if anyone has put this out, but I need to say this loud and clear: this is the most disappointing piece of Tawaif culture one would ever come across in the history of Cinema! A show on Mujrewaalis without a decent Mujra is a sin! This show particularly has 5 courtesans who are professional Mujrewalis, but Bhansali never makes them properly dance or train. Except for dances, everything is happening in this drama that is plotting more than Ekta Kapoor‘s evil soap. Now, why these actresses couldn’t perform is another question to ponder upon. Were they incompetent to perform? Or was the choreographer fed up making them learn something we might never know!
The Shayara!
Apart from these tawaifs, there is a main character in Heeramandi who does not want to be a courtesan. Alamzeb is played by Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s niece, Sharmin Segal. Sharmin is a whole bunch of Sharam, Haya, and Adaa in the series. The only thing she does not care for is her dialogue since she never seems to open her mouth to express the right tone of emotion! Not blaming these actresses for their beauty, but probably they were too mesmerized by themselves to bother about anything else! And honestly, why blame her when the director did not seem to bother to get the lip synchs right, at least? Or, probably, this was the demeanor courtesans used to adopt. Also, this shayara sans the correct Urdu was a total misfit in the elegant world created by Bhansali.
The Nawabs & Their ‘Un-Royalness’
There is a dialogue in Heeramandi – The Nawabs are under the thumb of these courtesans. However, this never translates on reel despite the Nawab never looking regal enough to be called a Nawab. The four main characters are Shekhar Suman, Adhyayan Suman, Fardeen Khan, and Taha Shah. Now, I have never seen Nawabs in real life except for Saif Ali Khan, and taking even him as the parameter for the charm of a Nawab should exclude, these Nawabs were nowhere real.
Probably, Bhansali was so obsessed with his ladies that he never bothered how the men were looking. At least they should look more royal than the Tawaifs, according to basic logic!
What’s That Accent?
On a lighter note, the British accent of the Britishers in this web series is so fake that Bollywood celebrities fake it better at international award shows. However, this is the least of the problems with this show!
The Sets
The most important character of a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film has always been the grandeur of the set. But we can place our bets that you will never ever doubt these sets or call them fake. Except for Saawariya, all the Bhansali sets seem as real as the story!
But the sets from Heeramandi have been worked upon so much that there are moments when it seems like a set was created on a stage for some theater group. There are moments when it looks as much unreal as it could be. He might be obsessed with beauty, but parts of his imagination abuse that beauty.
When you mix history with imagination, you need to understand that it comes with a certain sense of responsibility. But artists are rogue and selfish; that way, we guess.
Ustaad Ji & Shama – The Only Rights!
Heeramandi gets brilliant support from Ustaad ji, played by Indresh Malik, and Shama, played by Pratibha Ranta. Both of them get a hold on the characters they are portraying and dive deeper into the nits and grits. Indresh plays a third gender who acts as the connecting dots between the Tawaifs and the other worlds. He makes sure that he digs out those pathos from his character, despite not getting a moment to shine due to the badly done script.
On the other hand, Pratibha Ranta, who plays Shama, does a brilliant act as the daughter who co-exists as a Tawaif with her mother, and both eye the same man since it is a world of the survival of the fittest. Pratibha shines, whenever she gets a moment to!
Heeramandi is streaming on Netflix, and there is a lot we have to discuss about the web series.
