Pakistani actress Ushna Shah lashes out at Sanjay Leela Bhansali for making Heeramandi, feels 'it would be like Pakistani director making film about Mahabharata'

By Tanmayi Savadi

on October 01, 2021 12:16:01 PM

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi was conceptualised around 14 years ago. Now, it is finally being made by Sanjay as a Netflix original web series. The release date is yet to be announced. As everyone knows, the web series will be about courtesans of Lahore and the hidden cultural reality of Heeramandi, a dazzling district. While the audience in India is excited about the show, some artistes in Pakistan have taken offence.

Pakistani celebrities have used social media to express distaste at Heeramandi being made by an Indian filmmaker. Actress Ushna Shah slammed Sanjay for making Heeramandi and tweeted, "Culture collaboration is one thing but this is appropriation. Mimicking ours will make the project lose authenticity! India has a plethora of rich cultures & history to film, this isn’t theirs to make!"

Culture collaboration is one thing but this is appropriation. Mimicking ours will make the project lose authenticity! India has a plethora of rich culture & history to film, this isn’t theirs to make!

Sanjay Leela Bhansali Sets Netflix Series ‘Heeramandi’ https://t.co/QXRNjwBUtU

— Ushna Shah (@ushnashah) September 27, 2021

In another tweet, she elaborated, "Heera mandi was in Lahore, Lahore is in Pakistan. It’s relevance is to the Mughal empire on which Pakistani history is predominantly set. This would be like a Pakistani director making a film about Mahabharata."

Heera mandi was in Lahore, Lahore is in Pakistan. It’s relevance is to the Mughal empire on which Pakistani history is predominantly set. This would be like a Pakistani director making a film about Mahabharata.

— Ushna Shah (@ushnashah) September 27, 2021

Apart from Ushna, Yasir Hussain also criticised Sanjay. Sharing a note on Instagram stories, he wrote, "Heeramandi is in Lahore but Indians are making on it. Later, we’re going to say that everything they showed in it is false. I don’t know when we will start talking about our historical places and when we will start telling our stories ourselves."

Pakistani celebrities have spoken against Sanjay making Heeramandi as they feel the story based on Lahore’s red-light district should have been told by a Pakistani filmmaker instead.

(Source: Twitter/ Instagram)