Sanjay Leela Bhansali's niece who portrayed the role of Alamzeb in Heeramandi has responded to the backlash she has received for her performance
Sharmin Segal
Sanjay Leela Bhansali's new series, 'Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, stirred up mixed opinions when it premiered. However, it's been a hit on Netflix, landing in the number two spot for non-English language shows in its first week. The series attracted 4.5 million views and accumulated a total of 33 million viewing hours.
While 'Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar' has received praise from some audiences, it's also facing notable criticism. Many are concerned about how the show portrays non-consensual sex, depicts women's suffering, and aestheticizes their pain.
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A lot of the scrutiny has been directed towards Sharmin Segal, an actor in the series and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's niece. Since the show premiered on May 1st, Sharmin has been heavily criticized for her performance, with many calling it subpar. The backlash escalated to online trolling, prompting Sharmin to reportedly disable comments on her Instagram account.
Sharmin Segal responds to hate she received for performance in Heeramandi
Beforehand, Sharmin spoke out about the criticisms and online harassment, sharing how she copes with the intense scrutiny, Talking to BBC Asian Network, she said, “There is a lot of pressure and sometimes it manifests in weird ways,” adding, “But I have a really good support system. I think my strongest support system is my sister. She also happened to be an assistant director on the show. So, it worked out in a way where I do have my outlets where I can vent.”
“In my personal life, I am secure enough today to come home to my husband and put everything that I have done at work aside. But I am not that person who’s gonna constantly put that much pressure on it. Yes, I do want to prove myself; but today I am also a realist in that way. We live in a world of 1.7 billion people, in India itself (As per Indian Expres, this is a figure Sharmin got wrong during the chat. As per UN data from last year, India’s population is around 1.4 billion). After all, how many people’s opinions are you gonna shape or have control over,” she asked.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali on 'Heeramandi'
The story of 'Heeramandi' is set in 1920 Lahore. Regarding the love he is receiving from the neighboring country, in an interview with Indiewire, Sanjay Leela Bhansali shared, “There was so much love that I received from Pakistan, people waiting for it anxiously, waiting for this to be told. It’s a piece that somehow brings us all together, when all India was one, it was undivided. These people belong to us as much as they belong to them. I think they belong to both of us and both countries are showing a lot of love for finally the show being made. I still feel we’re all one, I still feel that we’re all connected in so many ways. There’s a lot of love for people on both sides, leave aside a few people would want to create issues — but those are not relevant.”
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