Netflix Hosts Special Screening Of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’ in Los Angeles

SLB’s series debut is the first Indian series to be showcased at LA’s historic theater, The Egyptian.

Updated on: 30 April 2024 4:51 pm

Host Lilly Singh, Creator, Director, Producer Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix

On April 29, Netflix hosted a special screening of the upcoming series ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’ in Los Angeles, and held a Q&A with series creator, director, and producer Sanjay Leela Bhansali for the same. The event was moderated by Lilly Singh, and the two talked about Bhansali’s first ever series.

SLB’s series debut is the first Indian series to be showcased at the historic theater, The Egyptian. After the opening remarks from Netflix Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria, the event had the screening of the first episode of the series. Seen attending the screening were several renowned names including Rushi Kota , Punam Patel, Nisha Ganatra, Joya Kazi, Tesher, Radhi Devlukia-Shetty, Kevin Kreider and many more.

‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’ LA Premiere Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix

Speaking to SLB, Lilly Singh shared her admiration for the series and revealed she was mesmerised after watching the two episodes of ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’. She added, "On behalf of all the audiences here, I can say that it was spectacular and so visually stunning."

Sanjay Leela Bhansali At ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’ LA Premiere Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix

Reacting to her comment, Bhansali asserted, "The script for Heeramandi was charming, vast, and epic. The story was too long for a film, and I had the concept 18 years ago, but there were no OTT platforms then. I finally saw an opportunity to do it properly on an OTT platform, where you can develop it and enjoy each character. This story has taken the longest—18 years of nurturing, cherishing, and living it.”

He further chimed in, “Working with Netflix on my first series was a completely different experience. In 30 years of my career, I have never met producers as beautiful as them. They are tough, and relentless, and ask for honest directors to create content with the same passion. It's good karma as a filmmaker to meet such producers, and I'm grateful to them."

‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’ is all set to premiere on Netflix on May 1, and stars Sonakshi Sinha, Manisha Koirala, Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Sharmin Sehgal in lead roles. The show promises to take the viewers to the 1940s, delving into the lives of courtesans filled with love, betrayal, power, and the struggle for independence.