Netflix renews ‘Heeramandi’ for season two

Netflix on Monday ordered a second season for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, a month after the big-budget period drama series premiered on the streamer.

Starring Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Richa Chadha, and Sharmin Segal, the first season of the pre-Partition-set show revolved around courtesans who wielded a lot of power and influence during India's freedom struggle.

Bhansali, who made his series debut with Heeramandi, expressed gratitude for the show's success.

"I'm blessed by the love and appreciation for Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. It's been a joy to see the show resonate with audiences worldwide, and I couldn't have asked for a better partner than Netflix. I'm happy to announce that we'll be back with season 2," the filmmaker said in a statement.

"Sanjay Leela Bhansali has intricately woven magic to bring Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar to life. Watching audiences everywhere fall in love with this series — making it truly their own as a cultural phenomenon — has been hugely energizing and it thrills me to share that we will be back with Season 2," added Monika Shergill, Vice-President Content, Netflix India.

The official Instagram page of Netflix India shared a video of a flash mob of 100 dancers at Mumbai's Carter Road dressed in anarkalis and ghungroos, and danced to a medley of songs such as "Sakal Ban" and "Tilasmi Baahein" from the series.

"Mehfil phir se jamegi, Heeramandi: Season 2 jo aayega," the streamer captioned the post.

Bhansali had previously said the decision to greenlight Heeramandi for a second season rests with Netflix.

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"Season 2, happens or not, happens with Netflix announcing if they want to go ahead with it. And they're (Netflix) the best producers I've ever worked with in 30 years. I keep telling them, 'I've done some good karma that I have had the chance to work with people like you all'. But the decision to do season 2 comes from them, not from me," the director told PTI.

One of the most anticipated series of 2024, Heeramandi was praised for its drama, lavish sets, and intricately crafted clothes. However, a section of viewers has called out the series for romanticising brothels, and historical and linguistic inaccuracies.

The first season of the series also starred Fardeen Khan, Taha Shah Badussha, Shekhar Suman, Adhyayan Suman, Farida Jalal, and Indresh Malik.