Sanjay Leela Bhansali is such a director of the Hindi film industry, that each frame of his films is no less than a painting. After showing his artistry on the big screen, the director is now going to join the world of OTT. Bhansali’s upcoming web series ‘Hiramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’, has been constantly in the news since its announcement. And today, after its teaser release, the anticipation for this series has increased. 

With the release of the Hiramandi teaser, one thing is clear that this epic series is based on courtesans and dancers of Heeramandi Bazaar. For the unversed, Hiramandi is situated in Lahore, Pakistan, and is famous there by the name of Red Light District. There is another story about this area and which is why it was once called Shahi Mohalla.

The epic story of Heeramandi

A story in history also says that Punjab’s last King- Ranjit Singh used to rule here. After him, the reins of this royal locality were taken over by Hira Singh, who has been described in history as the general of Ranjit Singh’s army and in some places as Ranjit Singh’s son. This place was named Hiramandi after his name.

Some historians also believed that Hira Singh had given the name Hiramandi to this locality because of the beautiful courtesans, whom he saw no less than beautiful diamonds. Another side of this story is that Maharaj Ranjit Singh had fallen in love with a courtesan here, However, him marrying her is not clear in any history books. 

When courtesans were not prostitutes

Hiramandi was once known for its manners and etiquette, but this was the era when there was a difference between a courtesan and a prostitute. Courtesans lived in chambers but as singers and dancers. They entertained the Mughals and kings with just their art. They even used to get respect for their art in the society, but the law of time changed.

There came a time when the glory and splendor of the royal locality became visible. This royal locality, known for the art of courtesans, became a den of prostitution. The British rule made the condition of this locality even worse. They simply named the courtesans as prostitutes. Since then this area kept getting lost in the dark abuses of infamy.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Hiramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’ will tell a story of love, power, politics, betrayal, freedom, and inheritance. Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Richa Chadha, and Sharmin Sehgal are playing important roles in the series, all of them will be seen in the role of courtesans. Hiramandi is a series of 8 episodes and it will be released on Netflix. However, the release date has not been announced yet.

Also Read Heeramandi Teaser Out: Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Netflix drama showcases epic saga of ‘love, power and freedom’