Heeramandi Review & Analysis | Netflix India | Sanjay Leela Bhansali

have you ever seen a monument or a beautiful view and you know you really hyped it up inside your head that when I'm going to look at this in real life it's going to be beautiful it's going to be so amazing I've always wished for that feeling of looking at it in real life and you see it and you appreciate it for a bit right but there's a point where you're like okay I've seen it now now let's move on to something else I can only be enamored or impressed by the visual of it all for so long this is what I exactly felt during Kiri I appreciate it it's beautiful but I am so [Music] bored one of the most anticipated Netflix Productions is finally here in the form of Sanjaya bali's directed series Hira Mundy a series conceptualized by bali's dear friend Moen beg years ago and has finally reached fruition I was really excited for this project because I wanted to see how a director so well vers with the format of feature films and having a track record of providing us such visual epics will assimilate in the digital space with his own series across Eight Episodes I can't help but confess to you even before I really dive deep on several aspects of hamandi that I was left with mixed feelings and I was slightly overwhelmed with disappointment on how this anticipated project turned out having shell out quite the molard did Netflix just invest blindly in Sanji Lia bansali seeing the lack of emotional resonance in this tale it sure does feel like it hamandi focuses on the period from 1925 to the early 1940s in lore when the British Raj was prevalent in the country and the independence movement was gaining steam the series especially sheds light on the lives of curtisan in a place called hamandi who through poetry music dance and seduction satisfi the nawabs who serve the interests of the British the series incorporates themes of Espionage murder deceit familial drama a lust for power nationalism and attempts to showcase the growing resentment of Indians against the British as they continue their oppressive imperialist ways here's me telling you the good and bad aspects of the series so that you guys can ultimately decide whether to watch it on Netflix or not the good production design in cinematography no matter how cliche it sounds hamandi its frames and its sets are nothing short of a painting this has stayed consistent with Sanji liila bansal's filmography with his romantic epics and period dramas that you're going to get a spectacle that is a treat for the eyes he is one of the only directors in the current environment of cutting Corners who is adamant on detailing and spending ample time on every element that is visible to the eye in the frame production designers Amit and subata chakrabarti and cinematographers sudip chhat Mahesh liay and hang mohapatra deserves so much praise even though I felt like certain portions of the series looked like an extension of the sets of gangubai and the opulence we were witnessed to in kalank but the designs especially of the Interiors of shahim mahel and quaba the two mahals in which the curtisan reside is a work of beauty the only deterent I feel regarding the visual appeal of Hira Mandi is that it looks too manicured too perfect for its own good so when battles are taking place in the streets against British officers it just seems like a lane created on a stage set versus having a visceral quality of a story set in pre-independent India a problem that existed in the artificial visual appeal of aatan meran 2 if the film was set just in shahim mahel I would just be staring at the perfect symmetry lighting and staging bansali was adamant in executing the man left no stone unturned in making sure even the sun's Rays fall perfectly in the frame but as I said in my introduction just like a beautiful view this holds true for a date as well with a beautiful woman I can only be appreciative of that work of Beauty for so long if it doesn't engage me intellectually or emotionally even at the slightest except pry zenta of course sh can talk about pain drying in our house and I'll still listen like it's the most interesting story I've ever heard dichotomy of their existence and Pitch there is a Fascination that Sanjaya bansali has for classical Tales From Hindi Cinema these are his biggest Inspirations and you see them translating in several Tales of his both in terms of the journeys those characters go on and the pitch at which they interact with each other I speaking of Legends like madala and Mina Kumari who of course in epics like Mug aam and Paka had a deep sadness even in the abandon with which they loved bansali loves tragedy in his tales characters who look ethereal classical Beauties but have a deep sadness from within and this is something that he wants to instantly highlight with his characters in hamandi the only Possible theme in my opinion that I found compelling the dichotomy of how curtisan who consider themselves to be artists are essentially treated as humans that may be visited but dare not come in the confines of our house they deck themselves with beautiful clothes makeup and jewelry all as a means of hiding the real feelings deeply embedded behind all of this Garb other than this Fascination that bansali has with tragedy Queens he has also also the only director who still convincingly pulls off the soap opera like pitch with his characters characters announce their plans even when no one is in the room sometimes they look over the camera to even announce their real intention the same pitch with which Kiran care in D Das confronts D das's mother for being mocked at publicly the same pitch exists here as curtisan trash talk one another with the most profound poetry it often feels like you're transported to a rap battle in Udu where they deliver the best roast and this is something that bansali has held on to he doesn't like understated realism in his drama or characters but a sense of verbose delivery reminiscent of say dramatic Shakespeare plays done in the Globe Theater for a person who is so good otherwise in his drama especially when it's focused on interpersonal relationships I wonder how bansali really could not deliver an emotional Journey for me through this tale I just passed by the show not feeling anything conviction and choreography I have to commend only a few elements of the cast because the performances are definitely a hit and a miss in this series I really did fall in love with fat and Sato played by jati bharta and Nita bhav they are the caretakers of the Mel who have their eyes and ears of every movement and development the gossip mongers who wouldn't dare challenge their huzur while they also take the shape of lui's crew from kalhonaho they brought an odd sincerity with their performances this is true for indr Malik as well who plays the role of ustad the roving eye loyal to no one who spreads information and Revels in the chaos of hiri he gets the pitch of a court jester dancing to the tunes of who gives the best price for his Intel I loved Richa Chad's ljo a deranged curtisan madly in love with the naab she really channelized that alcohol induced Madness with ease I have to also say I genuinely think Manisha kirala in terms of performances is the highlight of Hira Mandi a hardened individual who has suffered far too much much to Showcase any kind of empathy around her she has a tough exterior is intimidating in several portions when those in front of her cross the line and she has a command on screen that makes me believe we have really been short changed with the lack of opportunity she has received as her career has progressed I believe she deserves the same hype as taboo I also have to commend bansali who seems to be the only director who has preserved the art of incorporating classical dance through his tales and I really have immense respect for him for this because this seems to be a dying medium especially in the commercial space of movies sakal Aban both from a musical perspective and from a choreography POV is beautiful I also loved This brilliant one shot where Richa is balancing the act of being inebriated and still completing her dance performance a tricky actor a indeed Aditi hyari has become the favorite for roles that capture her big eyes that inadvertently undergo massive tragedy and I do have to say that she brings a Grace with her movement as well as for the other performances I'll be honest they are really forgettable let's however dive deep on why I feel Hira Mandi missed the mark the underwhelming aspects unintentionally funny moments there is definitely a glaring issue when sanjala bansali needs to capture anything that is not romantic or a dance routine especially portions of action in hamandi are staged and executed very poorly there are portions where the Brewing Independence Movement attempt to capture ammunition from the barracks of the British and there is not even a slight bit of tension that sets in as the Freedom Fighters feel cornered in the mission this is also True For A procession in which a British officer opens fire and there is pure chaos that sets in the external portions of the series as I previously said look like artificial sets and creates the same problem that we had with kalank where Sanji Lia bansali is not taking us back to India under British rule but I make believe World which is the brainchild of bansali where bansal's rules work and the British just happen to be there this is something that you will especially feel in the ization of the song aadi where it seems like the curtisan have entered the Cobble streets of bandra after Mass versus curfew on British rule there are definitely some unintentionally funny moments especially the manner in which a British officer cartright extracts information from mustad and the manner in which a principal character passes away in a carriage I could not stop laughing in the anticlimactic nature in which such an important character was killed in the pursuit of also making every frame so beautiful it also lends the quality of looking slightly fake the mixed impact of writing and the cast The Series has an odd combination of stale writing and SAA performances that disengage you as a viewer I must say that bansali really starts the series with a bang the way he introduces the world the interpersonal relationship provides us context about their history it all immediately interests you but it is when he goes in tangents after the fourth episode especially of the boring relationship between tajar and Alum played by tahash shha and shman seal where the series really takes a nose dive into Supreme boredom the case of Star Cross lovers is something bansali is really well verse with but I found myself struggling to care about the duo who throw average poetry at each other and get impressed by the last words of verses simply rhyming with the next tahash shha is charming and I did love his portions with farida Jalal who organically makes you as a viewer wish she adopts you but it's nothing more than looking Dapper his interest in the Freedom Movement his interest in Alum who is at a core level it's all just a blur Shaman seal for an actor who is just a film old gets so much screen time but other than looking beautiful there is no impact with her delivery or emotional range the nazakat the sharmana it's all too planned and stiff it's tough to root for a performance and an artist who gets such a big opportunity and presents such a stale performance I found myself caring more for the relationship between SAA and ibal more than these two I also feel like sanjida shik the most erratic of the curtisan and Aki sin with her own vested interest suffer the most because of bad writing especially the abrupt turn quates they experience in the latter half of the series their R parans are so absurd I can only go on a rant mode in the spoiler fill portions of this review which will be in the end so be patient with me the major problem with hiri you know I was seeing a recent interview that Sadat Roy Kapoor gave to film companion in which he said that India never experienced the Golden Age of Television like the West the West experienced Decades of cable syndication the HBO Renaissance and then encountered streaming this same culture of long form storytelling which the West has been well versed with and has worked upon was something we for years have only done during the small portion of the golden age of dur dasan and for more than two decades with our terrible SAS bahoo serials streaming and long form series is only something we got introduced to in 2016 and at directors who only know the art of feature films it's not a muscle they have flexed but simply something they went into head first this is clear with bansali and Hira Mandi who with a feature film like gangubai could effectively communicate the tale of an individual sold at the age of 16 years old abused and tortured incessantly being showcased to work for the cause of sex workers and their children to have the same opportunities in societies like everyone else this with the context of her horrid history with the lack of love and warmth in her life became The Core theme of the film that got communicated however with hamandi bansali wanted to do a little bit of everything deceit murder investigations loyalties being tested family ego battles and a lot of it is left unresolved nothing however is worse than how the series intends to wrap it up almost as if blue balling us making us believe this is the core the Freedom Movement I love what bansali attempts with his frames and his preservation of classical music and dance but this became a tiring watch for me if you do not want to hear the spoiler fi rant from me you can click away now because it's going to start in three 2 1 the final episode of Hami frustrated me so much the series invests you in a battle between curtisan who are Bound by Blood and when Sonakshi wants only Manisha koala's destruction when the same is executed she starts fighting against this inhumane nature with which they are being treated a character so hellbent in ruining her suddenly has this moral dilemma as things go too far the series then takes the shape of characters doing really bad things their conscience kicking in and wanting to backtrack all the poison that they have spilled across seven episodes this reminded me of the universal feeling when a friend tells you terrible things about their significant other you get angry for them you have an idea of their partner being toxic all you want is for them to leave this relationship only for them to be all over each other and in love the next time you meet and now L everything is fine this is what H Mandi will do to you by the end of it the curtisan with the half ass speech by additi saying M Sayo is not because they particularly care about India's independence but because H Mandi is under threat and they are being boycotted by nawabs how am I supposed to suddenly feel that the curtisan have nationalism ingrained in them while for seven episodes all they cared about was for their coffers to be filled by the nawabs the random Gusto of national istic fervor in the final portions of the series barring aditi's character who is consistent throughout the episodes really annoyed me especially the voiceover that almost announces them as the unsunk heroes of the Freedom Movement like what are you even trying to do I wonder how bali's tale with Hira Mandi became so all over the place or was this just a way to relaunch your niece because no one saw her debut film and that was a video guys write down in the comments below what you thought about h please don't forget to follow me on Instagram the hand is right in front of you follow me at Jammy pants 4 also please support us by Smashing the like button and subscribing to our channel for weekly content ahead thank you for watching

Channel: Tried&Refused Productions.

Views: 524,615

Keywords: heeramandi, web series, movie, review, analysis, sanjay leela bhansali, netflix, sonakshi sinha, manisha koirala, aditi rao hydari, richa chaddha, british, independence, gangubai, sanjeeda sheikh, bollywood, film, actor, actress, india, asia, hindi cinema, drama, romance, suspense, action, thriller, comedy, funny, humor, entertainment, society, lifestyle, true events, real story, celebrities, famous, performance, box office, dialogue, music, song, bgm, costume, dance, cinematography, production, classical, story, plot

Id: X8I0tNBcQXs

Length: 15min 44sec (944 seconds)

Published: Thu May 02 2024