Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar (2024) Season 1 Review

Episode Guide

Episode 1 -| Rating – 4.5/5
Episode 2 -| Rating – 4.5/5
Episode 3 -| Rating – 4.5/5
Episode 4 -| Rating – 5/5
Episode 5 -| Rating – 3.5/5
Episode 6 -| Rating – 3.5/5
Episode 7 -| Rating – 4/5
Episode 8 -| Rating – 3.5/5

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is one of the most reputable filmmakers from India. Therefore, in 2021, when it was first announced that he was coming to Netflix with his first TV show, a lot of fans waited with bated breath. Now that the show has finally been released on Netflix after years of waiting, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar is gaining a lot of attention – for good and bad reasons alike.

While it was a crime on SLB’s part not to cast Rekhaji in the show, Heeramandi is a drama that narrates the tale of courtesans from Heeramandi, a red-light area in Lahore. These courtesans who are called ‘Tawaif’ in Urdu, are the soul of Heeramandi.

The 8-episode drama narrates the tale of betrayal, sisterhood, freedom struggle and everything in between as the courtesans of Heeramandi take part in the struggle for the freedom of India from British Rule.

The show is great to look at visually and what Bhansali fails to deliver storywise, he compensates with the cinematography of Heeramandi. Each still frame is visually appealing and fans of period dramas will be awestruck when they watch this one. The show narrates the story of Fareedan’s revenge who has come to take back what belonged to her mother. This means that she has to clash with her aunt – Mallikajaan – who killed Fareedan’s mother.

The family tree of Heeramandi is extremely complicated. It takes a few tries to understand the relationship between the courtesans and the Nawabs too. The show tries to use India’s freedom struggle from British rule as a driving force to the independence of the courtesans from the mercies of the Nawabs.

Rather than feeling like a strategic move to kill two birds with one stone, the ending of the show comes off as haphazard and all over the place. The performances from Manisha Koirala as Mallikajaan and Sonakshi Sinha as Fareedan and Rehana were stupendous. It was nostalgic to see Fardeen Khan on the screen as Wali Mohammed but I wish he had more screen time and a better role for that matter.

Richa Chadha’s character as Lajjo is easily forgotten due to the limited screen time she receives on the show. The romance between Tajdar (played by Taha Shah Badhusha) and Alamzeb (Sharmin Segal) is half-baked and it looks forced as we constantly see more and more of them singing poetries to each other as the show progresses.

The show could do with a lot less of these two characters and a lot more of other deserving characters like Lajjo. Sajeeda Sheikh does a great job at playing Waheeda, the most helpless character on the show. Aside from these, Aditi Rao Hydari as Bibbojaan is a treat to the eye. I wish there was a better ending to her character.

It was enjoyable to see Farida Jalal as Qudisa Begum i.e. Tajdar’s Daadijaan and all the 90’s kids will surely enjoy another nostalgic moment on the show seeing her back on the screen. The show does not hold a candle to any other Bhansali projects in terms of story. However, the intricate set designs that ooze grandeur are a great compensation for the lack of depth in the story.

Being one of Netflix India’s most expensive projects, fans did expect a lot more than what was delivered. Essentially, Heeramandi is a story about the freedom of the courtesans from the atrocities of the men around them as well as the beginning of India’s freedom struggle from British Rule making this a one-time watch for a historical epic.

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