Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, the newest Netflix series from Sanjay Leela Bhansali, is winning praise.

The director discussed the creation of the show, which is set in pre-independence Pakistani Punjab, in an interview. He also mentioned how much love he felt from Pakistan, where fans are very excited to see how Heeramandi has turned out and its success.

When asked about the series' setting in the interview, Bhansali responded, "There was so much love that I received from Pakistan, people waiting for it anxiously, waiting for this to be told. It’s a piece that somehow brings us all together, when all India was one, it was undivided. These people belong to us as much as they belong to them. I think they belong to both of us and both countries are showing a lot of love for finally the show being made. I still feel we’re all one, I still feel that we’re all connected in so many ways. There’s a lot of love for people on both sides, leave aside a few people would want to create issues — but those are not relevant.”

The director went on to say that he accepts criticism from his audience. "There are things in the characters that connect to people in my work. That is why they talk about it. A lot of people like it, a lot of people don’t like it. It’s a part of a give-and-take with an audience and filmmaker. I don’t mind being loved when they give me love, and I don’t mind quite being criticized when they don’t connect to my work,” he said.

Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, an epic tale of love, power, retribution, and freedom, is set against the backdrop of the 1940s Indian freedom struggle and tells the tale of courtesans and their patrons. Among the actors who star in it are Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Fardeen Khan among others. The series was released on Netflix on May 1.