A gift for fans on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s birthday - BTS pics from the royal sets of Heeramandi

It's celebration time as multiple award-winning filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali is celebrating his 61st birthday. Numerous Bollywood celebrities have wished him on the occasion, along with social media users who have been showering love on the filmmaker. In an interesting surprise, Bhansali Productions, the filmmaker's production house, has treated fans to some stills from the sets of Heeramandi.

BTS pictures from the sets of Heeramandi

Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar is an eagerly anticipated period drama series created by visionary filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Ahead of its release, Bhansali Productions shared some behind-the-scenes (BTS) pictures from the royal sets of the series. The pictures feature the leading ladies, such as Sonakshi Sinha, Manisha Koirala, and Aditi Rao Hydari.

Captioning the stills, the production house wrote, “One emotion, thousands of memories. Thank you for so many memorable moments Happy Birthday #SanjayLeelaBhansali #Heeramandi #HeeramandiOnNetflix.” The post instantly received several hunder likes. 

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Set in the red-light district of Heera Mandi in Lahore during the Indian independence movement, Heeramandi delves into the intricate lives of tawaifs (courtesans). With Bhansali's creative genius at the helm, audiences can expect a richly immersive portrayal of the historical era.

Heeramandi was conceived 17 years ago

Heeramandi was officially announced in April 2021, fulfilling a vision Bhansali had conceived 14 years earlier. This eight-part series, marking Bhansali's OTT debut, commenced filming in June 2022. However, production was extended until June 2023, with Bhansali requesting reshoots in May of that year.

Also Read: Heeramandi's cast has a special message for Sanjay Leela Bhansali on his birthday 

According to Bollywood Hungama, Bhansali directed the pilot episode, while Mitakshara Kumar, previously Bhansali's associate director on Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat, took over directing duties for the subsequent episodes, replacing Vibhu Puri.

During a 2023 interview with Netflix's CEO Ted Sarandos, Bhansali hailed Heeramandi as his biggest project to date, envisioning it as a homage to cinematic classics such as Mother India (1957), Mughal-e-Azam (1960), and Pakeezah (1972).

The series will be available to stream on Netflix.

Also Read: Heeramandi – Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Netflix Magnum Opus to feature 6 to 7 illustrious songs; here’s everything we know so far