'8 spins in a 20-kilo lehenga!': Richa Chadha recalls Sanjay Leela Bhansali's demands during Heeramandi filming

Richa Chadha

Actors Manisha Koirala, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Segal, Richa Chadha, Sonakshi Sinha, and Sanjeeda Sheikh appeared on the recent episode of The Great Indian Kapil Show.

They discussed their experiences working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, highlighting his reputation as a 'perfectionist' due to his careful focus on every detail.

Richa Chadha recalls Sanjay Leela Bhansali's demands during Heeramandi filming

Richa Chadha remembered filming a dance scene and mentioned, "You don't have to do much. You are wearing a 20-kilo lehenga, you will spin around eight times. And when you hit the mark, you have to stop there, look up, and shed a tear from your left eye."

Talking about Sanjay Leela Bhansali's attention to small details, Richa mentioned, "You must have seen in the posters that I have flowers on my head. Those roses had to be changed several times. He said, ‘This rose has gone mad. Replace it.'"

Sharmin Segal, who portrays Alamzeb in Heeramandi, remembered, "One day he saw a thread. In a close up, he noticed a thread sticking out from the dress. He said, ‘Cut and retake.'" Sonakshi Singh also shared instances, mentioning, "Sometimes the decorative lamp would snuff out in the back. Sometimes the curtain wasn't properly creased. Sometimes the drape of the dress wasn't right."

Sanjeeda Sheikh noted the importance of props on the set during shooting, mentioning, "Even the chair is working. It has character. All the props on the set, even the curtain in the background has to work." Sonakshi then complimented the director, saying, ‘Nobody has a vision like him.'

Richa Chadha about filming her dance scene

Richa, who is a teetotaller told Zoom in an interview how she was just not "getting it" despite 30-40 takes, which is when she decided to consume alcohol. She said, "On the first day, I wasn't getting it, to do the drunk dancing. So, after 30-4o takes, I thought let me have a quarter and see what happens. I did have some gin. I drank a little bit, but it made things worse. I didn't want that lethargy in the body movement, I wanted some of it, maybe the precision can go but I didn't want to let go of the grace."

About Heeramandi

Set against the backdrop of the Indian freedom struggle of the 1940s, 'Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar' promises to be an epic saga of love, power, revenge, and freedom. Through the stories of courtesans and their patrons, the series delves deep into the cultural reality of Heeramandi. The series was released on May 1 on Netflix.