The lavish saga Heeramandi, from BAFTA-nominated director-composer Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas), tells the story of India’s elite tawaifs, or courtesans, living amid the fight for independence from British rule in the 1940s. As the courtesans entertain aristocrats, they scheme to fulfill their secret desires and clash against the powers that be. The epic Indian musical series stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, and Aditi Rao Hydari.
Check it out at the top of this page.
Aditi Rao Hydari, Manisha Koirala, Sanjeeda Sheikh, and Richa Chadha in Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar
Taha Shah Badussha in Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar
For years, the all-powerful Mallikajaan has reigned supreme over a house of courtesans in pre-Independence India. They live in a place called Heeramandi, in an opulent mansion that hosts nawabs for intricate — and intimate — performances. After 25 years in the biz, Mallika is bulletproof … until Fareedan, the daughter of her late nemesis, returns to get her revenge.
While Mallika rules her coterie of courtesans within Heeramandi, the surrounding city is in increasing turmoil as society battles the repressive British Raj in their campaign for the Crown to maintain rule over India and Pakistan. Mallika’s courtesan daughter Bibbo covertly gathers intel to help the revolutionaries and achieve freedom from Britain and from her mother, while Mallika’s youngest daughter, Alam, dreams of life outside the kotha, or bazaar, where she can pursue her true passion: poetry. But when Alam crosses paths with Tajdar — a nawab’s son fresh from studying law at Oxford who’s harboring secrets of his own — could their passions unite for a greater purpose?
While it’s based on historical facts — life in India under British rule and the courtesans and feudal lords who lived through it — it’s a fictional series.
No, it’s an original story by writer Moin Beg.
It takes place in pre-independence India, starting in 1920 when we’re first introduced to young Mallika, then jumping to the 1940s, when she’s taken over as ruler of the house.
Looking for more cinematic escapes from Bollywood? Check out this guide to find your next fave.
