Ahead Of ‘Heeramandi’, 4 Times Sanjay Leela Bhansali Gave Us Fierce Female Characters

Just two days back, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Netflix dropped the teaser of Heeramandi. The series' cast features Manisha Koirala, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Segal and Richa Chadha.

The caption on Instagram read, “Another time, another era, another magical world created by Sanjay Leela Bhansali we can’t wait to be a part of. Here is a glimpse into the beautiful and intriguing world.”

It is the world where courtesans were queens. While we can’t wait to binge-watch the series and be awestruck by every character, we chose to look back at some of the fierce characters that the director has given to us in the past.

Bhansali is probably one of the directors in the Hindi film industry who hasn’t portrayed women just as showpieces or heroes’ sidekicks, but as feminist role models. Most of his films are inspired by real-life women. Here are some that have stood out over the years:

Paro & Chandramukhi In Devdas

Image Courtesy: Wikipedia

‘Devdas’ is an all-time classic that portrays the love tale of a man named Devdas, portrayed by Shah Rukh Khan, and Paro, portrayed by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The story goes that while Paro was in love with Deva (Devdas) since her childhood, her dream of marrying him shattered when he left his house without looking back at her or asking her to go with him. When Devdas eventually returns for Paro, he finds her getting married and she asks him to leave.

Disheartened by Paro’s decision, Devdas finds solace in alcohol and the company of Chandramukhi, portrayed by Madhuri Dixit, a courtesan who lives by her terms. Paro and Chandramukhi know how to set boundaries with people and are often shown to be outspoken with men when other women prefer to remain subservient.

Mary Kom In The Biopic

Image Courtesy: Wikipedia

Bhansali made Priyanka Chopra shine in the movie ‘Mary Kom’, a biopic of the boxer MC Mary Kom. The actor went through a tremendous body transformation to bulk up. She learnt boxing to bring authenticity to the screen.

However, Bhansali did not forget to capture the other aspect of Kom’s life; the part of being a daughter, wife and mother. The boxer struggled to make peace with the fact during her first pregnancy that somehow all of it would affect her career. After delivering twins, she worked hard, bounced back into shape and made India proud.

Despite playing every role in her life, Kom showed us that a woman can have it all. It may not be perfect or the way she had imagined, but she can do anything she puts her mind and heart to.

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Kashibai & Mastani In Bajirao Mastani

Image Courtesy: IMDb

This period drama is inspired by the love story of Peshwa Bajirao and Mastani in which Kashibai (played byPriyanka Chopra) played an important role. While she remains forgotten in the pages of popular history, Bhansali and Chopra brought her to the forefront. The woman’s self-respect was not even beyond the limitless love for her husband.

The plot is that Kashibai hates Bajirao for accepting Mastani as his second wife, yet she never crosses a line with her. There was a short scene where Kashibai and Mastani have a conversation and it shows how Kashibai has over time learnt to live with the fact that her husband loves his second wife more than he loves her.

But Mastani was not just a lover, she was a fighter. She fought with Bajirao to save her father and his kingdom. She fought with everyone for the sake of her love and to be accepted as his wife. While Mastani wanted to be in Bajirao’s life, she never wanted him to give up on Kashibai. There was a unique tension and acceptance between the two women.

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Gangubai In Gangubai Kathiawadi

Image Courtesy: Instagram/aliaabhatt

Ganga, who came to Mumbai with a dream to be an actor, finds herself betrayed by her lover, who leaves her in the red light area of Kamathipura. The film was inspired by the life of Ganga Harjeevandas, popularly known as Gangubai Kothewali, portrayed by Alia Bhatt.

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From being an innocent girl to becoming a self-sufficient woman amid pimps and other men who treated women like property, Gangubai is shown as a woman who lived on her terms. In the film, she fights for women outcast by society, helps their kids to get admitted to a nearby school and tries everything in her power to make the life ofsex workers a little better.