Why does Sanjay Leela Bhansali find courtesans more attractive than traditional women?
Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar is a series directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and released on 1st May 2024 on Netflix. The show gained popularity as it signified the life and struggles of courtesans in pre-independent India. In an interview with Bharadwaj Rangan a few days back, Sanjay Leela Bhansali revealed his inclination towards tawaifs as he finds them mysterious and as women with substance and significance.
In the interview, Sanjay Leela Bhansali portrayed these individuals as ”powerful”, “ferocious”, and “dynamic” people who paint their faces in red and black to hide the pain that they have of confinement and hopelessness. He also commented that Heeramandi was a tribute to the courtesans or tawaifs, who were responsible for promoting a strong sense of art and culture in India since before independence.
Life of Tawaifs
Sanjay Leela Bhansali inferred that they show their joy and sadness through music, dance, and poetry, making it so heartfelt and majestic to a certain degree. Moreover, they are women who strongly understand art, architecture, literature, etc. Due to these reasons and many more, the “tawaifs” are a subject of interest for the director as he usually finds them attractive and as individuals with secrets and stories that are pretty different from those ordinary people speak.
He also commented by signifying the value of actresses who played the role of courtesans in the past. According to him, the role of a courtesan is challenging to play as it consistently portrays a story that needs to be told and the perspective of life that needs to be acknowledged.
How vital are series and films like Heeramandi?
The traditional films on love stories show individuals desperate for love, madly in love or hopeless. Nevertheless, series like Heeramandi show the overall hopelessness of tawaifs when it comes to love or social relationships. They stay separated and divided from traditional societies and are often criticised for their way of life and choices. They are usually disregarded and treated by people by dishonouring their virtues and also by generalising them as women who are unfit for inclusion. Shows like Hiramandi portray the life of these people as they are found to sing melodious songs or dance off to a beat in the most extraordinary manner despite their pain and feelings that remain unrevealed.
Significance of the “tawaif” culture in the undivided India
The “tawaif” culture emerged in the Mughal era, with courtesans being the key individuals responsible for promoting art and culture most profoundly and creatively possible. People in the modern era still sing the songs composed during the period. The dance forms introduced are still followed and consistently adopted by people in various contemporary scenarios. Literature and poetry transcended through this culture have changed human perceptions of love, betrayal, confinement, impartiality, etc. One must acknowledge the culture and the rich heritage of the “tawaifs” as it brings about a perception that signifies human values and the preconceived notions of society about women who are often untraditional. All these are exceptionally displayed and transcended via the series Heeramandi.
Personal Opinion
It is essential as a viewer to endorse the content that signifies the unnoticed segments of modern society and how it has transcended. Heeramandi is a significant example of such content, which Sanjay Leela Bhansali has carefully developed and curated for almost 14 years. One must also understand the pain and agony of the courtesans in the pre-independent era of India and the sacrifices they had made to carry forward a sense of belongingness and a sense of virtue, and dignity.
