After creating magic on celluloid with his magnificent films, celebrated filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali is set to make his digital debut with Heeramandi, a streaming show set at Netflix.
According to reports, the high-profile show will feature a host of Bollywood actresses in principal roles. Several names have been linked to the upcoming project over the past few weeks. And if fresh reports are to be believed, seasoned actress Juhi Chawla will also play an important role in the show.
“Heeramandi will see a total of 18 female actors which includes Sonakshi Sinha, Manisha Koirala, Nimrat Kaur, Sanjeeda Sheikh, and Diana Penty. Juhi Chawla will be joining the cast as she will be seen playing an important cameo in the eight-episode web series. The actress met Bhansali and immediately agreed to do the role. She will soon be starting her shoot,” a source close to the development tells a publication.
The source goes on to reveal that Heeramandi will travel from the 19th century to the pre-Partition era. “The original Heeramandi was based in Lahore and was earlier referred to as Shahi Mohalla. Before the courtesans started occupying the place and practice mujra, it housed several attendants and servants of the Mughal Empire. Bhansali plans to show Heeramandi as a sacred place for learning music and dance. The show will focus on the clash between two gharanas (houses) of geet sangeet. The story travels from Lahore to Mumbai,” adds the source.
Apart from being the showrunner, Bhansali will also direct a few episodes of the eight-episode series. “The first and the last episode is being directed by the filmmaker while the rest will be done by Vibhu Puri and Mitakshara Kumar who have assisted Bhansali in the past," the source says in conclusion.
Meanwhile, Juhi Chawla next will be seen in Sharmaji Namkeen. The film will mark the final screen appearance of late Bollywood actor Shashi Kapoor who breathed his last on April 30, 2020.
Keep visiting this space over and again for more updates and reveals from the world of entertainment.
The actress defended her claim that acting demands more than desk jobs in a recent interview.
She said office workers can "chill out" during work hours, unlike film stars.
Fans and working professionals called her comments privileged and out of touch.
The backlash started after her appearance on Amazon Prime's Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle.
Critics pointed out the financial gap and support systems actors have compared to regular employees.
Kajol probably didn't expect this reaction when she sat down with Twinkle Khanna on Two Much. But her comments about actors working harder than people with 9-to-5 jobs have blown up, and not in a good way.
Fans slam Kajol after she says actors work harder than regular employees sparking online outrage Getty Images
The comments that started it all
Kajol was speaking out about her earlier comments on Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle on Amazon Prime, where she said actors work harder than most people. This time she was explaining why she thinks that.
She told The Hollywood Reporter India that her days are full of shoots, events, and very early flights. One day involved waking at 5 AM to catch a flight to Jaipur for a 3 PM event.
But it was her take on regular jobs that got people talking. She claimed desk workers don't need to be "100% present" and can take breaks, "chill out," and relax while working. She kept coming back to the unending scrutiny actors face like the feeling of always being watched or something as simple as how you cross your legs or who's snapping a picture in the background becomes a constant calculation. You have to be switched on, she insisted, all the time.
The internet, frankly, was having none of it. YouTube and Reddit exploded with responses. "For the kind of remuneration actors are paid, they shouldn't have a problem working 12 hours a day for 4 days a week," one user wrote. Another pointed out that films typically take 3-4 months to shoot, while regular jobs run year-round.
The responses got more pointed. "Vanity mein naps or massages bhi toh hum lete hain," a Reddit user commented, referencing the comfort of vanity vans. Someone else joked: "If you work poorly, you get fired. If you act poorly, you get a Filmfare award."
The bluntest response yet? "Respectfully, Kajol, shut up."
Nobody denies acting is demanding. Long hours, public pressure, and constant judgement are very real. But comparing it to regular employment ignores some major differences.
Most people work 12 months a year with two weeks' holiday if they're lucky. They don't have spot boys fetching drinks or vanity vans for rest breaks. One netizen nailed it: "A working parent's schedule is continuous, every single day, with no wrap-up party or off-season."
Online erupts as Kajol defends claim that acting demands more than everyday 9-to-5 workGetty Images
There's also the money. While her fee for a single film is probably more than most people earn in a year, she says that doesn’t make the work easy. Still, it does provide a comfort that regular employees don’t have. Kajol has not yet replied to the backlash.
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