Heeramandi

Never expected this meandering story from this genius. None of the characters impresses. It's a strain watching pure dialogue delivery. Boring and lacklustre characters that fail to engage.

It seems the makers just wanted to somehow stretch a story to 8 episodes. The sets and costumes will impress only when you have well fleshed characters . Sorry Bhansali ji you have disappointed us.

Too much effort of audience goes in adjusting to names and recollection of past events because the scenes are forgotten due to lack of potency. I wonder why more effort was not put in. Basic principles of scene construction were ignored.

The tale is a dreary and nonsensical affair.

The screenplay proves a tiresome, protracted bore.

The dialogue is insipid and trite.

Performances are utterly devoid of vitality.

The production values, however, are quite lavish.

The locales are top-notch.

The sets and their adornments are simply splendid.

The costumes are exceptionally fine.

The makeup is rather pleasing.

Cinematography is nothing short of remarkable.

The lighting is impeccable.

Alas, the direction feels hopelessly antiquated.

Its a mixed bag of splendid visuals and dreary narration not recommended for viewing.

****4****

Powerful performance by Manisha, sonakshi. Interesting storyline..didn't enjoy the last 2 episodes as it was a complete diversion from the main plot. The politics of heeramandi is what makes the story enjoyable...Manisha and Sonakshi along with bibbojaan were really good, even saima and fattu are well written characters on the other hand richa was completely wasted Lajjo was a poor character no graph no depth. Actress who played Alamzeb her voice and diction were good but this role needed a very very good actress and she had limited expressions. Music is very good, it's a visually stunning film too.

My 5yr old sister can do better acting then sharmin Segal...the worst actress in the whole universe I would like to say.... HOW CAN A PERSON HAVE 0 EXPRESSION just because she is a sibling of Sanjay Leela bhansali, she got a chance for the biggest role There can be any actress in her play and they would do better than this women Most disappointing part is the lead female actor too disappointing she has just one expression in the whole series just 1 expression Otherwise the series is great and watchable for people who like old periodic movies it is a glamorous series which represents the beauty of tawaifs.

After a long hiatus, I decided to give a new show a shot, but I was sorely disappointed. The show in question, "Heeramandi" by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, promised much but delivered little beyond its visual appeal. Known for his lavish sets and intricate costumes, Bhansali's skills in these areas were unmistakable and truly commendable. Unfortunately, that's where the positives ended for me.

Describing this show as "all style and no substance" feels almost too kind. It's a perfect example of a series that looks beautiful on the surface but lacks depth. The first episode was torturously slow, so much so that I found myself fast-forwarding through parts of it, which I rarely do if I'm trying to give a show a fair chance.

As the superficial allure of the stunning sets and costumes wore off, I tried to focus on the plot, only to find myself overwhelmed. The narrative introduced around 20 characters in what felt like a rapid-fire, haphazard fashion, moving forwards and backwards with little regard for coherence. It felt like a bad LSD trip, and even Confucius would forgive me for being utterly confused and confounded.

In essence, while Bhansali's "Heeramandi" might be a feast for the eyes, it's a famine for the mind. Despite its visual mastery, the series is shallow, lacking the compelling storytelling needed to make the aesthetic elements worthwhile.