“Heeramandi“, A guilty pleasure? Heeramandi, a series brimming with potential and high anticipation, encountered several hurdles that led to its downfall. The show, which set out to delve into the lives of courtesans in a historical backdrop, struggled to hold the audience’s attention due to a lack of a cohesive narrative and character development.
The pacing of the episodes, if more consistent, could have kept viewers more engaged. Moreover, the show faced backlash for its portrayal of women and historical inaccuracies, which marred the overall viewing experience. Lets know the 5 reasons of why is “Heeramandi”, A guilty pleasure?
Historical mistakes
In the Netflix series’ Heeramandi,’ viewers and critics have identified some historical inaccuracies. One of the significant deviations is the portrayal of specific historical events or figures. For instance, the use of Indian flags in Azadi Tehreek against the British government, which was not yet established, is historically inaccurate. It’s crucial to understand that while historical dramas can be entertaining, they often take creative liberties for storytelling.
Recognizing these discrepancies can enhance viewers’ appreciation of the series while acknowledging its departure from historical accuracy. While historical inaccuracies can sometimes compromise the authenticity of a show like ‘Heeramandi,’ they can also stimulate reflection and discussion. By sparking conversations about the past and encouraging viewers to delve deeper into historical facts, even flawed portrayals can serve as valuable educational tools.
Overdue Costumes and jewellery
According to the sources, around 600 crores was budgeted for the series Heeramandi. The courtesans were living in poverty, and they preferred sleeping with wealthy people to feed themselves. But as per the series, all the courtesans wore overdue costumes and jewellery. The costumes take centre stage. They blended French and English prints with traditional Indian textiles like brocades, phulkari, expensive embroidered velvet, and jamewar shawls. The designers Rimple and Harpreet took around three years to make the desired costumes and jewelry, which was not needed.
Alamzeb’s acting and interaction with Tajdar
At 28 years old, Sanjay Leela Bhansali Segal Mehta’s niece portrays Alamzeb, Mallika’s younger daughter and Bibbo’s sister in the series. Alamzeb has no interest in being involved in Heeramandi and yearns for independence. As a poet and romantic, Alamzeb falls for Tajdar Baloch, a nawab’s son. Unfortunately, Fareedan manipulates this love to further her agenda. In the series, we witnessed that Segal was confused about the delivery of emotions. Her character was so annoying that her grief and happiness expressions were the same throughout the series.Alamzeb’s first interaction with her hero, Tajdar, was also unpalatable because they got intimate even before knowing or having a word with each other. Netizens criticized Segal Mehta for nepotism.
The Character of Mallika Jaan
Mallika Jaan was played by the actress Manisha Koirala, who turned out to be an alarming character. She was too rude, annoying, and arrogant. She has been too cruel to her daughters, sisters, and servants but then flipped her rules for one of her daughters, Alamzeb. Despite all this Manisha’s acting was exceptional enough to steal the show.
Qudsia’s Character
Qudsia was Tajdar’s grandmother, who was extra cool with him. She asked Tajdar to spend time with the courtesans of Heeramandi to learn about the culture and speak manners. No parent wants their child to meet sex workers, so the character is unnecessarily open-minded, unlike the cultural South Asian woman.
Conclusion
The show, which set out to delve into the lives of courtesans in a historical backdrop, struggled to hold the audience’s attention due to a lack of a cohesive narrative and character development. In the Netflix series’ Heeramandi,’ viewers and critics have identified some historical inaccuracies. While historical inaccuracies can sometimes compromise the authenticity of a show like ‘Heeramandi,’ they can also stimulate reflection and discussion. In a nutshell this series is a guilty pleasure in which you can enjoy the glamour mixed with cultural values.
Read our article about another Netflix movie ”Chamkila” https://lifetwirl.com/chamkila-the-biopic-trending-on-netflix-but-who-was-he/
