Have you ever thought about the pre-partion stories your grand or great grand-parents shared with you? Anecdotes, or lifetimes of biography that existed before the subcontinent achieved independence from British rule, and the sacrifices it took to achieve this freedom. Freedom. Azaadi. That is how I would sum up “Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar” in one word. In every sense of the word. In land, in love. In power, in prestige. And most importantly, in the price we pay for it.
Set in the throes of British-ruled Lahore, India, “Heeramandi” is a gloriously fire-hearted story that seemingly centers around the feud between two rivals, Mallikajaan (Manisha Koirala) and Fareedan (Sonakshi Sinha). The reigning Madame and her vengeful opponent compete for power, for the seat at the top of an empire, Heeramandi itself. But in a country still under British colonial rule, the fight for power is one which both rivals must unite against. In an era where women still struggled to fight for a seat at the table, these courtesans owned their tables, yet suffered. This is what makes this dastaan an honest, glamorous, and brutally heartbreaking story that aims for one true conclusion: freedom.
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Much of the story is influenced by the decisions and expectations of Mallikajaan, the head of Heeramandi, who vows to be in charge after her son is taken away from her almost immediately after childbirth. For her, it is the freedom she has created by being cruel and callous, and in her arc, we see a truly complex character and her use of evoking fear to maintain her freedom, yet love and protect just as deeply when the time comes. She is, however, a symbol of entrapment many people around her look to rebel against, as while Mallikajan is considered outside the status quo, she upholds her norms that she expects her courtesans to also uphold, binding them to a fate free of choice.
Her actions result in the storylines of her sister Waheedajaan, and her two daughters: Bibbo and Alamzeb. Bibbo and Alamzeb are both symbolic of the freedom they dream of, with hearts that beat with a sort of compassion it seems their mother is initially void of. While Bibbo’s character is one of softness and of someone who has learned how to play the cards she has been dealt without letting them harden her completely, her words earlier in the series foreshadow her journey throughout the show:
“To tolerate injustice is as much a sin as committing it.”
We find as the story progresses, the brave-hearted strength she is made of and how in her fight for rebellion, she represents the belief of liberation from oppression, and the defiance it can take to win back what is yours.
Alamzeb, played by the ethereal Sharmin Segal, is the youngest daughter of Mallikajan. She represents freedom in innocence and hope. Her story begins with her character seemingly floating in rose petals, lost in the poems she so lovingly writes and covets. Her fight for freedom lies in leaving the Heeramandi, and never fulfilling what is considered her kismet: To be a courtesan. Additionally, her star-crossed love with Tajdar, the rich son of a Nawab, who has just returned from studies at Oxford, is further indicative of the freedom she represents. Tajdar and Alamzeb’s love is real and true, but it builds like a crescendo, and crashes in a manner that is polarising for one to reconcile with. While Alamzeb’s rebellion may be with Heeramandi, Tajdar’s lies against the colonial rule, and their fight to love freely dwindles amidst the choices they must make. At the end of it all we are left questioning: At what price must we free ourselves? Interestingly though, Alamzeb maintains her symbolic hope when her story does end; a beautiful paradox extended to us. That is, while current rebellions lose so much for freedom, the future generations gain something valuable: a new beginning.
Sinha’s glorious performance as Fareedan is exhilarating while Sanjeeda Sheikh’s portrayal of Waheedajan leaves you frightfully on edge about what betrayal and loss can do to you. And yet, with all the infighting, the fatal politics in the name of power, it is these women who close ranks at the end, who realize the true support and honor of respect cannot be found in the ones that divide them (British officers, or the Nawabs who peddle to colonial whims and uphold patriarchy), but within each other.
Along with a dazzlingly cutthroat plot, the backdrop, architecture, opulent jewels and beautiful fabrics adorning the shoulders of the leads are the quintessential essence of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the creator of this series.
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This slice of untold history, buried beneath the pile of hidden sacrifices of groups of people that history hoped to erase, is finally unearthed in “Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar.” I can only hope that audiences are moved by these complex characters who will shock you over and over, but whose hearts are all connected by the hope of freedom. It is their eventual unity to defy the status quo, to stand up for what was right, and to choose each other, that leaves you with a fire burning inside you.
“Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar” premiered May 1st, 2024 on Netflix.
