Renowned Bollywood filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali recently revealed his initial casting choices for his passion project ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’, admitting his desire to cast Pakistani A-listers Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan, and Imran Abbas.
In a recent interview with Indian-Canadian YouTuber Lilly Singh at the Los Angeles premiere of his highly anticipated web series ‘Heeramandi’, SLB disclosed that Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan, and Imran Abbas, who have previously made their mark in Bollywood, were among his original considerations for the cast.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6ZQ309IFkr/?igsh=MWFxbzB0N3l1djV2Nw==
Bhansali, who has been nurturing the project for nearly 18 years, shared insights into his casting process, mentioning veteran actors like Rekha, Kareena Kapoor, and Rani Mukerji, along with considering Pakistani stars Mahira Khan, Imran Abbas, and Fawad Khan at one point. However, he ultimately opted for the current ensemble cast.
SLB’s digital debut, ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’, delves into the lives of courtesans in Lahore’s red-light district during pre-independent India.
The eight-episode web series, featuring a star-studded cast including Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, and others, premiered on Netflix on May 1.
