Mumbai: Grandeur, opulence, soulful music, larger than life sets and iconic characters, these are some of the words to describe Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s artistic genius.
One of the greatest filmmakers of all time, he has given Indian cinema some of its biggest cinematic gems - from Black to Padmaavat. His films have the magic of transporting one to a different world, an unimaginable one that only he can create.
Marking his 25 year milestone, Bhansali and Netflix join hands to bring to life the filmmaker’s passion project, the magnum opus series, Heeramandi.
The show will explore stories of courtesans and the hidden cultural reality of Heeramandi, a dazzling district, during pre-independent India. It’s a series about love, betrayal, succession and politics in the kothas which promises Bhansali’s trademark larger than life sets, multi-faceted characters and soulful compositions. This piece-de-resistance will be created by the master filmmaker with an eye for detail and intense intricacies only he is capable of.
Sharing his thoughts on Heeramandi, Sanjay Leela Bhansali said, “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.”
Monika Shergill, VP, Content, Netflix India said, “Sanjay Leela Bhansali has created a stunning brand of cinema which is uniquely his own, with emotionally charged storytelling, magnificent sets and unforgettable characters. We congratulate him on completing 25 phenomenal years and giving masterpieces for generations to cherish. We are beyond excited to bring his extraordinary creative vision to storytelling on Netflix. Heeramandi will be a story that will intrigue audiences and transport them into a world of incredible grandeur, beauty and harshness at the same time."
Bhansali’s journey started 25 years ago with Khamoshi: The Musical in 1996, and has gathered innumerable hits along the way. He has received widespread recognition for his incredible, visually stunning, larger than life projects including Black, Bajirao Mastani, Guzaarish, Ram Leela, Devdas and many many more blockbusters that left audiences around the world in awe. For his magnificent work, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has received several prestigious Indian and global awards including five National Film Awards, Filmfare Awards, Padmashri - the fourth-highest civilian award in India, a BAFTA nomination and a submission to the Academy Awards for the Best Foreign Language Film for Devdas.
Netflix is the world's leading streaming entertainment service with over 209 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages. (UNI)