Sanjay Leela Bhansali, popular for his rich, emotional and visually delighting films, ventured into new territory for his latest project, Heeramandi. The filmmaker made his OTT debut, by releasing the series, featuring Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Sanjeeda Sheikh and Richa Chadha, on Netflix. The series, which explores the life of courtesans in Lahore, has been receiving praise from audiences since its debut.
Following its release, numerous social media users from Pakistan have offered glimpses into the modern-day Heeramandi, also known as the Old City or Androon Sheher. Yet again, another influencer recently shared a raw sight of the locale on Instagram, shedding light on its transformation into a busy hub for local cuisine and history lovers.
The video features a singer performing in a restaurant, puppet shows, horse rides and mouthwatering food stalls. Sharing the video, the user wrote, “To those who can’t visit in person, here is a virtual tour of present-day Heeramandi, Lahore. Known now as the Old City and Androon Sheher, it is still holding on to the grandeur and magnanimity of days gone by. Broken, worn down in some places, but still full of life. It is now a food hub for local cuisine and history enthusiasts, alike.”
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Since the footage was shared on Instagram, it has gone viral and garnered over 4 Lakh views. Reacting to the clip, a user shared, “This is now a food street. Most of those people have left this area, while there is a restaurant here where the children of these people work.”
Another wrote, “That puppet show was probably my favourite thing, gotta preserve the arts.” “The people from Heera Mandi moved to posh area of Lahore and their next generations are doing their family businesses there,” a comment read.
One more added, “Before Heeramandi series, nobody even talked about this place. Atleast after Netflix, Lahore’s Heeramandi is in trend and even known throughout the world. Its not just about love, romance and twaifs, it’s also about sacrifice of twaifs.”
During the British era, Heeramandi was renowned for its courtesans, who held a prominent place in society. However, in 2009, the area was closed following a police raid. Following the success of the Netflix series, Sanjay Leela Bhansali recently officially greenlit a second season of Heeramandi. As of now, it remains uncertain whether the current cast, including Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha and Sanjeeda Sheikh, will return or whether fresh faces will join the upcoming season.
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