EXCLUSIVE: Sonakashi Sinha, Manisha Koirala on playing courtesans in Heeramandi

When we join Manisha Koirala and Sonakshi Sinha on a fashion shoot they are sharing a laugh at something somebody said Koirala bids adieu to Sinha as she leaves for the online launch of her song Tilasmi Bahein Itrsquos an hour before Sinha returns ready to speak of her role in next weekrsquos Netflix release Heeramandi The Diamond Bazaar A period piece on Lahorersquos most powerful women the series centres around these two warring courtesans But behind the scenes they are fixing each otherrsquos hair and tiaras Where is the war we ask Thatrsquos for the screen they tell usBhansali fashioned his series around a concept by journalistwriter Moin Beg who has lived with the story for 15 years Historically Heeramandi was a bastion of the classical arts patronised by the tawaifs under Mughal rule but devolved into a centre of prostitution when the British consolidated their rule in undivided India Through eight episodes the story hurtles through turbulent times weaving a narrative of love betrayal loss and powerSonakshi SinhaKoirala Bhansalirsquos first heroine Khamoshi 1996 is working with him after 28 years ldquoThe first time Sanjay and I met was on the sets of 1942 A Love Story he was working on the filmrsquos songs I was in the midst of filming the beautiful song Pyaar hua chupke se and we instantly became friends He wanted some feedback on his own script I loved it and I am glad that I got to be his heroine Now I get to play MallikajaanrdquoThe queen bee of Heeramandi Koiralarsquos character decides what happens in the haveli and the neighbourhood and unabashedly uses her charm to control the Nawabs ldquoI wonrsquot lierdquo she makes an honest admission ldquoI donrsquot think I connect with Mallikajaan She is dark complex layered and extremely controlling She is insecure powerhungry and traumatised But as an actor when you step into a role like this you must channelise every bit of your art I had to know her from a place of empathy and ask questions about what makes her who she is What does her trauma feel like to her She is an emotionally intelligent woman There is a certain grammar to how she conducts herself Her body language is also a product of this world and her experiencesrdquo Koirala says she broke down her characterrsquos conscious and subconscious mind Because acting is more than just learning your lines and cracking the body language she had to make sure she emoted with her eyes ldquoI donrsquot know if Heeramandi ever had a Mallikajaan I have never met a person like herrdquoAs Fareedan Sinha is Mallikajaanrsquos nemesis The hatred that their characters harbour for the other is both fearsome and valid It is not easy to figure who is right and not Sinha describes her character as angry ldquoWhat defines Fareedan is her rage Life hasnrsquot been pretty or pleasant Her anger stems from the unfairness life has meted to her I have never played someone who is constantly seething and undoing the wrong done to her She is borderline sadistic but also a good person I was careful not to let Fareedan enter my life beyond the directorrsquos actionrdquoBoth actors admit that their big challenge was that the story is set in a milieu and country thatrsquos unfamiliar Koirala shares that the research was cumbersome ldquoIt was exhaustive It started with reading the script multiple times I had to request Sanjay to get me a diction coach since I have laborious dialogues Sanjayrsquos research Begrsquos perspective and detailingmdashit all added a lot of value At the end of the day it is Sanjayrsquos call He knows what he wants sowhen I would perform he guides me Ye nukhta zyada mat bolo ye kam thardquoSinha agrees ldquoAll my preparation came from listening to Sanjay sir talk about Fareedan He is passionate about even the darkest of characters He spoke to me about Fareedan like he knows her narrated what has transpired in her life her trauma I am an observer and so these conversations permeated into my subconscious I took it all inrdquoThen there were books Zahid Akasirsquos detailed title Heera Mandi 2005 includes a plethora of details about the neighbourhood and its genesis During the Mughal era it stood near a towering brick wall 30 feet tall encircling purana or old Lahore safeguarding the city Thirteen gates punctuated the ramparts facilitating entry into the city Positioned in the northwest corner of the old city Heera Mandi was entered through Taksaali Gate Named after Maharaja Heera Singh son of Maharaja Dehan Singh a prominent minister in Maharaja Ranjit Singhrsquos administration the red light area earned a fitting moniker During emperor Aurangzebrsquos reign the construction of the Badshahi Masjid in the vicinity led to the area being referred to as Shahi Mohalla or royal neighbourhood The courtesans were not only skilled in classical dance like kathak and music but also wellversed in poetry literature and the arts Koirala says that learning dance and music are the frills of any performance The real drill is to capture the soul of the character ldquoDialogues donrsquot always do it for you There are times when a character has no lines in a scene but is able to leave a mark We all work hard to understandrdquoZahid traces the roots of numerous popular singers to this locality including Madam Noor Jehan Farida Khanum Naseem Begum Tasawar Khanum Nahid Begum and Surayya Khanum The music for the series has been making waves since the launch especially that surrounding the kathak pieces Which is why Sinharsquos performance in Tilasmi Bahein is unexpected and filmed as a single shot Sinha tells us it was all done impromptu like most good things ldquoWhatever we had prepared for was scrapped by Sanjay sir on the day of shoot Four days were kept aside for the song but when we reached the set he decided that he didnrsquot want what was earlier planned ldquoInstead he said lsquoWhat if we do it in one shotrsquo I had zero time to prepare So whatever he was saying I was following in real time I had to learn the lyrics right thenit was daunting There was no running away from this I shed all my inhibitions and became Fareedan I almost forgot Sonakshi It was unreal once the shoot was over Sanjay sir gave me a standing ovation It was the happiest moment for me as actor He is not easy to pleaserdquoActors can mature and so directors can change too Has Bhansali changed as filmmaker in 30 years ldquoSanjay was always a beautiful director Khamoshi was poetic sensitive It spoke about the insecurities of a deaf and mute couple Their child sings beautifully and they want to exert their control over her Sanjay has become a filmmaker who envisions largerthanlife stories He has become better with time and even more of a perfectionist There is a reason why he is a geniusrdquo