The Bandit Queen director Shekhar Kapur has been one of the biggest admirers of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s work. Time and again he has taken to social media and shared his thoughts on the kind of work SLB does. Recently, Kapur couldn’t hold back but heap praises on Bhansali’s latest offering Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar.
Shekhar Kapur lauds Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Manisha Koirala for Heeramandi
Taking to his Twitter, Shekhar called Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s cinematic art seductive. He added, “He (SLB) pulls you into his world and mesmerizes you. His images stayed with me long after I binge-watched the whole of #Heeramandi in one go.. and what an effective performance by Manisha Koirala @mkoirala.” He further took a sly dig at the streaming platform and wrote, “Finally #Netflix is giving Indian filmmakers budgets they deserve.”
However, the internet wasn’t in sync with Shekhar Kapur’s thoughts. One user shared, “Few films( series)more like this Netflix will go bankrupt. Though his craft is unique, the world has moved past Heeramandi.” Another added, “With all due respect, I disagree here with you sir! SLB is a great filmmaker but this one lacks the grip. I felt that he tried to cover many concepts, slipped from one genre to another, and couldn’t do justice to the series! Actors are great though, his direction is ok!”
This is not the first project of Bhansali that has come under the radar of criticism but he has been controversy’s favourite child ever since he’s into cinema. Recently while speaking to Indie Wire, SLB shared, “A lot of people like it, a lot of people don’t like it. It’s a part of a give-and-take with an audience and filmmaker. I don’t mind being loved when they give me love, and I don’t mind quite being criticized when they don’t connect to my work.”
More about Heeramandi
Heeramandi is an 8-episodic series set against the backdrop of the Indian freedom struggle in the 1940s. This grand tale of love, power, revenge, and freedom stars Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Manisha Koirala, Sanjeeda Sheikh, and Taha Shah Badussha in the lead alongside Shruti Sharma, Fardeen Khan, Adhyayan Suman, Shekhar Suman and Sharmin Segal playing key roles.
