Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s statement about previously planning to cast Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan, and Imran Abbas in “Heeramandi” has stirred up a frenzy among Pakistanis. Here’s how Imran Abbas reacted to this confirmation, something he had previously disclosed.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “passion project” nurtured over an impressive 14-year period, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar epic saga unfolds against the backdrop of Heeramandi, Lahore, a bustling red-light district predating the Partition of the Indian subcontinent.
Heeramandi’, an 8 part web series, initially conceptualized as a film, dives deep into – love, betrayal, power plays, and political drama, all set against the vibrant backdrop of kothas, the secret world of courtesans. The series boasts a stellar cast including Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Farida Jalal, Fardeen Khan, Taha Shah Badussha, Shekhar Suman and Adhyayan Suman.
Bhansali is known for his lavish visuals in films like “Devdas,” “Padmaavat,” “Bajirao Mastani” and “Gangubai Kathiawadi,” and the “Heeramandi” trailer is in keeping with that. Talking about the web series, Bhansali said, “This is a story of love, power, freedom, and extraordinary women, their desires, and struggles. It marks a new milestone in my journey. In Netflix, we found the ideal partner —- one who not only shares our love for storytelling but also possesses the unparalleled capability to bring our series to the most diverse and global audience imaginable.”
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Statement Of Planning To Cast Pakistani Actors In Heermandi
During the premiere of his series in Los Angeles, a video of which is now going viral in our part of the world, Bhansali discussed with the famous YouTuber Lilly Singh how “Heeramandi” evolved from a film to a series and how the dream cast changed over the years. “This was 18 years ago, so at one point, it was Rekha ji, Kareena [Kapoor Khan], and Rani Mukerji. Then it changed to another cast, and then it changed again.”
He then surprised everyone with the revelation that Pakistani actors were also considered for “Heeramandi.” “At one point, it also included Mahira Khan, the Pakistani actor, then Fawad Khan and Imran Abbas. But then everything changed.”
And now, take a pause folks …
While When Imran Abbas Disclosed The Same News, We Chose To Troll Him
While Pakistanis are indeed in a frenzy just imagining what an extravagant Sanjay Leela Bhansali classic would have been like with our Pakistani stars, this situation has also prompted us to reflect on another aspect: a habit we as a nation have, of ridiculing and degrading our own artists (publicly) at times. If you’re wondering why we’re bringing this up and what we’re referring to, allow us to jog your memory with a little recap
Just recently, Imran Abbas was in the news, and people were bent on trolling him, making fun of him, and ridiculing him. All this was based on what? A statement of his for which we had absolutely no information or confirmation.
Imran Abbas has, on multiple occasions, discussed Bollywood projects he missed out on. However, during a recent appearance on Nida Yasir’s Shan-e-Suhoor transmission, Imran categorically stated that he had turned down films like “Aashiqui 2,” “Ram-Leela,” “PK,” “Heeramandi,” and “Guzaarish.”
“Career wise main peeche mud ke dekhta hun, Aashiqui jaise film chodh di, sab kehte hai, ‘Aashiqui chodh di, itni badi film, aree Ram Leela ko tumne na keh diya ki unko.’ PK mein ho Sarfaraz wala role tha, Heeramandi jo abhi inki film aa rahi hai Sanjay Leela Bhansali ki, wo toh maine mana nahi ki thi, shelf ho gayi thi. Guzaarish ek film thi jo Aditya Roy Kapur waala role tha.” – Imran Abbas
(When I look back at my career, I rejected a film like Aashiqui 2. People keep telling me how could I say no to Aashiqui 2 and Ram-Leela. I was also offered Sarfaraz’s character in Rajkumar Hirani’s PK. Although I didn’t say no to Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi, it got shelved. Aditya Roy Kapur’s role in Guzzarish was first offered to me as well).”
Imran Abbas
Many people interpreted Imran Abbas’s statement as him flaunting his prowess in India and showing off, while some accused him of lying.
Not so surprisingly, as a nation, we are often the first ones to bring each other down, publicly airing our criticisms. It seems we don’t believe in individuals sharing personal experiences; instead, we feel entitled to judge what is true and what is not. We struggle to acknowledge that everyone has their story and comes from a different place. Learning to reserve our judgment appears to be a difficult task. We put on a show, and not a good one at that, without realizing that the world is watching, and self respect begins at home.
Reflecting on the situation, we wonder why some people were so incessant about trolling. Some fans of the actor point out that he had already starred in several Bollywood movies like “Creature,” “Jaanisar,” “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil,” and “Je Ve Sohnya Ve.”
Imran Abbas Has Reacted To This Confirmation…
Imran Abbas has responded to Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s statement, revealing how Bhansali had plans to cast Pakistani actors for “Heeramandi” in a post that is circulating online. He further explained that the casting changed because the format of the film transitioned into more of a web series.
Here’s what Imran Abbas has reportedly said:
He emphasized that the most disheartening aspect of this situation isn’t merely the disbelief in him or the perception of him as a showoff, but rather the disappointment of his own people degrading him instead of offering their support.
