Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s first Netflix limited series is what you’d expect from him — opulent, melodramatic, three times longer than necessary, and at moments breathtaking. Heeramandi (2024) follows the courtesans of Lahore’s pleasure district in 1940s pre-Partition India.
Manisha Koirala anchors the ensemble as Mallikajaan, the imperious head of the kotha. Sonakshi Sinha plays her rival Fareedan with cold fury. Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, and Sanjeeda Sheikh round out a cast that’s almost entirely women — refreshing for the genre.
The production design and costumes are reference-grade. Bhansali’s frames are paintings. The musical sequences (Tajdar-e-Haram, Sakal Ban) are gorgeous.
The series struggles with pacing — eight episodes feel like twelve. The British Raj subplot is undercooked. But when Bhansali is on, there’s no one else like him on TV.
