Sanjay Leela Bhansali wanted to cast Rekha, Kareena and Rani in ‘Heeramandi’

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s first web series, ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’, is now available for streaming on ‘Netflix’. At the Los Angeles premiere of the big-budget show, Bhansali spoke about his vision and shared that he was originally going to make it as a film with Rekha, Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukerji. The director said that the idea of ‘Heeramandi’ has stayed with him for 18 years, but since the story was so expansive, the film didn’t materialise.

Talking to Lilly Singh at the premiere, Bhansali shared his thoughts about the casting and said, “This was 18 years ago, so at one point it was Rekha ji, Kareena and Rani Mukerji. Then it changed into another cast, then it changed into another cast.”

As the host expressed her shock, Bhansali said that his idea was when ‘Heeramandi’ was ‘supposed to be a film’. ‘Heeramandi’ is set in pre-independence Lahore, in the world of courtesans and nawabs.

Bhansali shared that at one point, he also thought of casting Pakistani actors Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan and Imran Abbas in the show, but ‘then it all changed’.