On the eve of the release of his debut show Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali revealed that he once considered casting Pakistani actors Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan as the young pair of Tajdar and Alamzeb. Heermandi was being planned as a film back then. (Also Read – Vivek Agnihotri lauds Pak doctor who criticised Bhansali’s Heeramandi: Bollywood has tendency to romanticise courtesans)
Mahira-Fawad over Sharmin-Taaha?
Eventually, Bhansali cast his niece Sharmin Segal and Taj: Reign of Blood actor Taaha Shah Badusha in the roles of Alamzeb and Tajdar respectively. After the show released, an X user posted a picture of Mahira and Fawad from a recent ad and wrote in the caption, “the tajdar and alamzeb we deserved in Heeramandi.”
However, the internet was quite divided on that casting. They argued that today, Mahira and Fawad wouldn’t have been age-appropriate casting. One user wrote, “And the fact that the characters are supposed to be in their early twenties…??” Another commented, “LOVE THE PICTURE. not the idea.” “But I see her as Bibojan. And Sajal Ali as Alamzeb,” read a third comment, arguing that Mahira, 39, would have been better suited for the role played by Aditi Rao Hydari, 37.
However, many others lapped up the idea of Fawad and Mahira as the young pair in Heeramandi. “Baat toh sahi hai (True story) (crying, whining and black heart emojis),” commented a user. Another agreed, “Oh that would have been epic!” “100%. But with a stronger story,” read a third comment.
About Heeramandi
The period drama series, which marks filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s grand debut in the streaming space, is one of the highly anticipated titles to come from Netflix. It stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Sanjeeda Shaikh.
Set in pre-Independence India, the big-budget show, which premiered on May 1, revolves around the lives of courtesans living in the red-light district of Heeramandi in Lahore.
The Hindustan Times review of Heeramandi stated, “Sharmin Segal and Taha Shah Badussha lend the much-needed youthful energy of two hopeful lovers in hopeless times. Sharmin, who is also Bhansali’s niece, gets the princess treatment here, but her voice and dialogue delivery are awfully reminiscent of those of Sara Ali Khan. Not to say that she’s bad, but she has a long way to go. That’s not so much the case with Taha, who’s dependably vulnerable and resolute, as and when required. He’s a rare find and holds great promise.”
