9 Photos Of Real-Life Heeramandi That Show How Different It Was From Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Imagination

Even a Pakistani viewer has complained that Heeramandi never looked like how Bhansali has shown in the web series. Several others wonder why the ace filmmaker always sympathises with courtesans in his films - from Chandramukhi in Devdas to Mallikajaan in Heeramandi, do you know Bhansali's childhood has a big impact on his style of filmmaking?

Well, even before the eight-part web series was released, Bhansali had admitted that real-life Heeramandi is far different from how he has shown in the film. He used his artistic freedom to make it look royal. "It can never be real as art is not real," Bhansali told architecturaldigest.in. "Can you touch a Kishori Amonkar raag? Can you take a Gaitonde painting and say let¡¯s place it in reality? You can¡¯t," he added.

Real-Life Photos Of Heeramandi

If you are also wondering what real-life heeramandi looked like? Here are 11 photos that show how different the place in Pakistan is from what Bhansali has shown in the web series.

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Vivek Agnihotri on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi

Not just people, even Vivek Agnihotri slammed the Bhansali web series for being far from authentic. "I haven¡¯t seen the show, but I have visited Heeramandi in Lahore a few times. Bollywood has this tendency to romanticize courtesans and brothels. It¡¯s a sad commentary because brothels have never been places of opulence, glamour or beauty. These are monuments of human injustice, pain and suffering. Those unfamiliar with this should watch Shyam Benegal¡¯s Mandi," he wrote on Twitter.

Also read: Heeramandi: Pakistani Writer Umera Ahmed Calls Out Makers, Says Her 2004 Book Is Featured In SLB's Show

He added, "Also, a question we must ask: Does creativity give us the freedom to glamorize human suffering? Is it okay to make a film where slum life is depicted as a life of abundance? Is it okay to portray slum dwellers wearing clothes as if they are attending an Ambani wedding? Pl discuss".

Also read: Heeramandi Photos: Pakistani Viewer Claims Inaccuracies In Bhansali Series, Shares Images As Evidence

What do you have to say about the creative liberties Bhansali took in Heeramandi? Let us know your views in the comments section below.

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