Juhi Chawla to be a part of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming web series 'Heeramandi'

Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali recently signed a deal with Netflix for his dream project, 'Heeramandi' as he makes his digital debut, but the scale of the upcoming web-series seems to be expanding.

New reports suggest the director has roped in actor Juhi Chawla for an 'important' role. Juhi is reportedly part of a large ensemble cast and the series will reportedly have 18 female actresses as part of the project. 

Apart from Juhi, there is a lot of buzz about Bollywood biggies like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Nimrat Kaur and Manisha Koirala and Sonakshi Sinha being associated with the project.

The series will take viewers to the pre-Partition era and will explore stories of courtesans in the hidden cultural hub of Heeramandi.

The original Heera Mandi, was based in Lahore, which is Pakistan's oldest red-light district. It used to be known as Shahi Mohalla, housing attendants/servants of the Mughal Empire. But later, courtesans took over the neighborhood. 

Bhansali has made some changes to the narrative. In Bhansali's script, Heeramandi has been portrayed as a holy place to learn music and dance. The series will focus on the clash between two gharanas (houses) and the story then travels from Lahore to Mumbai.

The show will have all the trademarks of a Bhansali film which includes grand sets, elaborate compositions and a plethora of characters. Bhansali or Netflix have not shared a release date so far.

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