Why Portrayal of Muslim Characters in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi is A Welcome Change

The water fountains, the exotic carpets, the chandeliers, the jharokhas, the hamams, the candle lit baradaris with bethaks where nawabs watch the most beautiful of the nautch girls perform, the costumes, the language and the body language — everything about the much-awaited Sanjay Leela Bhansali magnum opus Heeramandi — The Diamond Bazaar streaming on Netflix, reminds you of the grandeur of yesteryear Muslim social Pakeezah — the classic tale of tawaifs and nawabs and their forlorn love.

Bhansali even introduces one of the protagonists, Alamzeb, with a scene that is an exact copy of one from Pakeezah — the gorgeous Meena Kumari lying on bed with her curly hair soaked in water infused with rose and jasmine. Of course, you will know only if your parents or grandparents have told you legendary stories of rage films like Pakeezah and Mughal-e-Azam which were released decades ago — even Umro Jaan can be added to the list — these stories and anecdotes are so enticing that you watch the movies and forever fall in love with them.

If it had a theatre release, Bhansali’s Heeramandi had the potential to do just that.

Set against the Indian independence movement against the British Raj in the 1940s, Heeramandi is about the lives of tawaifs living at the red-light district of Heera Mandi in Lahore. Tawaiafs, not the typical prostitutes, but women who would serve as entertainers and companions living in kothas — their residences — where young Nawabs and aristocrats were sent for their lessons in etiquettes and manners of those times. Tawaifs would generally take paramours for life and live off their wealth.

As far as the aesthetics is concerned, Bhansali takes you just there in spite of all the criticism he is facing, those are the definitions of kothas for a Hindi cinegoer. Bejeweled madams, the anarkali suit wearing nautch girls, the nawabs in their long shawls — Bhansali has just taken a leaf out of those very style books and added his specific touches.

The characters are intricately woven. Love, Bhansali’s specialisation, is secondary in this spectacle. What takes prominence is the crafty, scheming tawaifs fighting for reigning over their opulent mahals or the hearts and coffers of the nawabs.

The female-led drama has a strong protagonist in each of its characters. Each character is well defined with a backstory, which justifies how every person has shaped their idea of love, freedom and insecurities.

Bhansali's OTT debut has an ensemble cast of Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal and Sanjeeda Sheikh in the lead who excel in their parts. The series also features Fardeen Khan, Shekhar Suman, Adhyayan Suman and Taha Shah Badussha. Except for Badussha's Tajdar, the male characters are there to only take the arc of the female characters forward.

The female leads have glorious reviews, whether it's Koirala's cold and heartless Mallikajan, Sinha's Fareedan or Rao Hydari's brave and valiant Bibojaan or Chadha’s heartbreaking Lajjo. The series  did have flaws —numerous at that. The historic discrepancies, which have been another of Bhansali speciality like we saw in Padmaavat. 

As much as I would have wished, the love story of Alamzeb and Tajdar did not move me. I wanted the lovers to have the chemistry of Pakeezah, the pull of the forbidden love, the yearning which was so missing. Since much has been rewritten about the lack of acting abilities of the young protagonist, I’ll give that a miss with a suggestion that Sara Ali Khan would have been better suited for the role.

What I liked about the women in Heeramandi, however, was they were at their best when they were not lovers. The characters become unforgettable only in their struggle for upmanship in the backdrop of the rebellion. The women are most powerful as women, who defy the need of patronisation and protection from the men.

The narrative of freedom struggle is part of every character's unfolding. Bhansali highlights the importance of freedom for self and for the nation as well. The characters shine through the realisation that it is time to become mulkwali instead of mujrewali. 

Also read: 'Heeramandi': Bhansali Fills the Small Screen With Aesthetic Details But Forgets the Story

“Hume dekhni hai azadi, har haal mei hame dekhini hai (we want to witness freedom, we want to witness it at any cost)'' — has the impact and the tone of famous poem of Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s “Hum dekhenge” even borrowing words from the famous nazm which has defined rebellion for many.

What set Heeramandi apart, in spite of partly agreeing with the accusations of glamourising “miseries and struggles” of the women in these unfortunate conditions, are two things. One, the narrative of freedom struggle in Heeramandi is inclusive and without the toxicity of any kind. There is no scene showing the much in-vogue Muslim bashing. Muslims are as much in love with the concept of a free India as any patriot at that time. Not only are freedom fighters Muslims but those leading the rebellion are also Muslims.

In the era of Hindi films, where Shah Rukh’s character in Pathaan doesn't identify as a Muslim and says the name is given by his “adoptive family” in Afghanistan. Where the obnoxiously evil cousins of the protagonist had to be converted Muslims for “that impact” in Animal, where Muslims are shown to “love’” only because of animosity and a purpose, love is “jihad” to convert and co-opt.   Where a popular mainstream director asks why should anyone “shy away from showing Muslims as villians”, where audiences after watching a movie on Kashmir, come out saying how scared they are of Muslims. In this scenario, Bhansali's Heeramandi is not only refreshing but brave.

Since the setting is Heera Mandi, Bhansali was not forced to show his characters as the regular “muslim-type either”.

Religion is not important in the movie, the essence of the characters would remain even if the names are changed to something else. The characters are human beings who love their beloved and their nation and just happen to have Muslim names.

For our generation who are in their 40's and more for generations after us, there are no enduring Muslim characters to remember. By the time we started understanding cinema, Muslim characters had already been reduced to an inspector Khan or the neighbour Rahim Chacha. Even the “good Muslim friend character” who dies in the end, had been reduced to zero.

In current times, Muslim characters have, however, made a comeback prominently as the face of evil in every Hindi movie possible.

This is a welcome change as Bhansali brought back Muslims not as insignificant characters or venomous villains. He did not treat Muslims as the “other”. Muslims in Heeramandi are neither apologetic nor resentful. They are just who they are.  In the political temperature when Muslim bashing is no longer fringe but has become mainstream, watch Heeramandi for just setting aside the trend and deviating from what has become normal. Even if the characters are the cliched “lustful nawabs and pretty looking tawaifs”.

Toufiq Rashid is a journalist who has covered the Kashmir conflict, health and wellbeing for top Indian newspapers for nearly two decades. She now works at @Pixstory.

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.