Netflix has renewed Sanjay Leela Bhansali's massively popular global hit debut series 'Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar' for a second season.
The show quickly rose to the top of Netflix's global non-English TV chart in 43 countries during the first week of its May 1 debut, making it the most watched Indian series on the platform worldwide. Since its debut, the series has held the top spot on the India Top 10 list.
Taking place in the courtesans' home area of the Heeramandi district of Lahore in pre-Partition India, Season 1 of the opulent story takes place between 1920 and 1947, until the subcontinent was divided into India and Pakistan. These tawaifs received music and dance training and were courted by nobles. Mallikajaan (Manisha Koirala), the cunning queen of Heeramandi, and her resentful niece Fareedan (Sonakshi Sinha), who aspires to succeed her aunt, are at the centre of the show.
Season 1 was completed after a rigorous three-year production process that included 350 shooting days. “It takes a lot to make a series. This one has taken a lot. After ‘Gangubai’ [Berlinale title “Gangubai Kathiawadi”] released in February 2022, from that to now every single day I have worked without a break. So the responsibility is huge on the series,” Bhansali told Variety.
“In ‘Heeramandi 2,’ the women now come from Lahore to the film world. They leave Lahore after the partition and most of them settle in the Mumbai film industry or Kolkata film industry. So that journey in the bazaar remains the same. They still have to dance and sing, but this time for the producers and not for the nawabs. So that’s the second season we are planning, let’s see where it goes,” Bhansali added.
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At an event held on Carter Road in Mumbai, 100 dancers dressed in shimmering anarkalis (traditional Indian gowns) and ghungroos (anklets) performed a medley of songs from the series as part of a flash mob announcement for Season 2. The dancers broke the news during the performance.
"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," Bhansali 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," Monika Shergill, VP, content, Netflix India, said.
