The beauty of Bhansali’s heroines runs deep, says Heeramandi’s Bibbo Aditi Rao Hydari

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Sanjay Leela Bhansali forayed into the world of OTT with his ambitious project, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. Starring Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Sharmin Segal in pivotal roles, the Netflix series is set in Lahore during the 1940s.

In an exclusive interaction with CNBC-TV18, Aditi Rao Hydari delves into the nuances of Bhansali’s directorial genius, the profound emotional journey embedded within his narratives, and the transformative impact of portraying the passionate and fierce Bibbojaan in the series.

When it comes to framing his actresses, and all his characters for that matter, Bhansali is second to none. He does it with beauty and aestheticism. And while Aditi agrees, she adds that’s it just “one part of it.”

“What makes it all really priceless is the emotional journey that he takes you on. Because without that emotional journey, the beauty would be khokla (empty). His beauty and the beauty of his characters and his heroines run deep. I feel that you know, they’re beautiful, but they simmer with so many layers and complexities and that’s what makes them human. And that’s what really moves you. And I think that’s what is really special about what he does and why he creates a cinematic legacy,” Aditi explains.

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Reflecting on her experience on the grand set of Heeramandi, Aditi highlights Bhansali’s dedication to perfection and his relentless pursuit of cinematic excellence. She describes the immersive nature of the filming process, where every detail, from dialogue delivery to set design, contributed to the authenticity of the narrative world.

“When you come onto set, you just feel like you belong. Bibbo’s room felt like Bibbo’s room. Fareedan’s Khwabgah felt like Fareedan’s Khwabgah. It was done with such minute detail. And I always say this but like with Sanjay sir, his curtains, his everything acts for him. And he makes it act for him. So it’s the entire frame that is in the drama,” she says.

On qualities she would like to pick up from her character, Aditi says, “The fact that she is fire and grace. There’s such a beautiful, fearless vulnerability to her. I hope that I can have that fearless belief and conviction to stand so steady. You know, it all comes from love. So I really relate to it.”

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Praising Bhansali for crafting a character like Bibbojaan, she says that it takes a filmmaker like him to show that there are different kinds of fire. “There are different kinds of fearlessness. There are different kinds of passion. And women are complete wholesome people, you know, who have these many layers.”

Recounting an anecdote from the set, Aditi reveals Bhansali’s tender-hearted nature and his profound love for animals. “We had 25 four-legged, what he calls, his babies on set. They would literally sit on chairs. And there were always extra chairs because chairs were for them, and we all loved them, but it started with him. He made sure they were all fed and looked after, sometimes they would walk into frames, and Sanjay sir’s face would light up.”

Talking about the preparation that went in for the part, Aditi says that it was all for the dialogues — the language had to be clean and clear. “We had a diction coach Muneera, who, even when we thought was sleeping was wide awake, and would catch us. That was my prep, the lines.” She adds that the prep really was to not prepare and to know the lines forward and backward and just surrender.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow