Didn't Cast Sharmin Segal In Heeramandi Just Because She Is My Niece: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Since the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi, actress Sharmin Segal has been trolled for her performance in the web series. Her co-star Aditi Rao Hydari, on the other hand, has received a lot of praise for her nuanced performance in the show. Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali denied casting actress Sharmin Segal in his first streaming series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar just because she is his niece.

In an interview, the filmmaker said that Sharmin went through several rounds of casting and her face was a perfect fit for the role of Alamzeb, a naive young woman who is born into the ruthless world of scheming courtesans and nobles.

Speaking to India Today, Bhansali defended the casting of Sharmin but did not elaborate on her performance, which was criticised from all quarters. “She has a face that is exactly what Alamzeb should be, someone who doesn’t want to be a tawaif, she doesn’t talk like a tawaif, and she doesn’t walk like a tawaif. There was something innocent about her face, whereas everyone else had lived life, they had survived manipulation and mind games. You needed someone with a fresh, innocent quality. I felt Sharmin was the right choice for Alam, not because she is my niece.”

He continued, “She had to go through the mills of the industry. There were countless tests and auditions. I did endless tests with her after I decided to cast her. I told her, ‘You have to tough it out, you have to get it right because you have never been in this world, you have never acted before. All these other actors have worked for a long period, they have played such characters and understood all these nakhras and thumkas and the nazakat.”

Recently, a clip of Sharmin Segal commenting on Aditi’s punctuality and calling her a “school girl” went viral on social media. Sharmin’s remarks did not go down well with Aditi’s fans, who reported her for her mean comments on Aditi.

In the clip, Sharmin sarcastically discussed Aditi’s punctuality on the sets of Heeramandi. She said, “Aditi is a good school girl, please understand that. The teacher will say you have to submit your homework at that time and Aditi will do just that and not a single word more than the word count limit. That’s Aditi for you. So, according to her, everyone is late and she is punctual.”