Have you heard? Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s digital show under fire in Pakistan

Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Ushna Shah

Bhansali's digital show under fire in Pakistan

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming web series, Heeramandi, based on Lahore's red-light district, has created an uproar in Pakistan. The filmmaker is facing the heat for not being "his story to tell". Pakistani actor Ushna Shah is the latest to express her ire at Heeramandi being made by "an Indian filmmaker." She tweeted, "Culture of collaboration is one thing but this is appropriation. Mimicking ours will make the project lose authenticity. India has a plethora of rich culture and history to film, this isn't theirs to make." Bhansali's dream project, which drops on Netflix, has been in the planning for 14 years. It dwells upon the lives of courtesans in the pre-Partition era. Shah added, "Not a single Netflix original has been made by Pakistan. Heeramandi was what is present-day inner-city Lahore. We needed this... of course, it was all India once but if the little history that leans towards Pakistani culture/language/city is commissioned to India, what historical film will Pakistan make?" Bhansali, who considers the project an important milestone in his journey as a filmmaker, sparked a social media debate across the border after the show was announced in August. "This [Heeramandi] is in Lahore but it is being produced by Indians. Then we will criticise how they showed a false narrative. God knows when we will tell our stories," writer-actor Yasir Hussain said in his Instagram story. Actor Mansha Pasha earlier expressed her sadness and wrote that "because in Pakistan a fictional narrative is often censored, others take up the stories that are native to our country. In the end, what will be left will be our stories told from someone else's mouth."

No collision ahead?

On Thursday, Boney Kapoor announced that his production, Maidaan, starring Ajay Devgn hits theatres on June 3, 2022. Kapoor can heave a sigh of relief as the sports drama has been postponed multiple times due to the pandemic and production issues. Amit Ravindernath Sharma's directorial venture was to be a Dussehra 2021 release. It was clashing with SS Rajamouli's multilingual, RRR, also starring Devgn. Kapoor felt it was "unethical" for the South filmmaker to choose the same day. The makers of RRR have not announced a fresh release date. Hopefully, it will not be June 3.

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New year, new film

Alia Bhatt's Gangubai Kathiawadi will be the first film to release in the new year. On Thursday, it was announced that Sanjay Leela Bhansali's project will hit theatres on January 6, 2022. The biographical drama, scheduled to release on July 30, was postponed due to the second wave of the pandemic. "The wait to witness her power, strength and resilience ends. Bringing you a stem-winding story of Gangubai Kathiawadi in cinemas near you," posted the makers. Bhatt is keenly awaiting the release as Gangubai is a role of a lifetime for her.

Small town charm

Sara Ali Khan and Vicky Kaushal will share screen space for the first time in Laxman Utekar's romantic comedy. The film, set in Ujjain and Gwalior, is laced with a social message like his earlier small-town films, Luka Chuppi (2019) and Mimi, which dropped digitally in July. The cinematographer-director was keen to explore a fresh pairing. He always wanted to work with the "hugely talented" Kaushal and Khan, "who are apt for the role and will kill it." The actors will soon begin script reading sessions to get the local dialect right. The film goes on floors in November.

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Alibaug calling

Barely a fortnight after they sealed the deal for their Alibaug holiday home, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone have kickstarted work on the decor. The two zoomed off to the coastal town with interior designer Vinita Chaitanya. "Who are these dudes in my car?" wrote Chaitanya while sharing a click. She is said to have also done up Dippy's Prabhadevi home.

On board

Ranveer Singh has been named brand ambassador for the National Basketball Association (NBA). He will aid in growing the league's profile in India in its 75th anniversary season (2021-22). "I loved basketball and the NBA since childhood. I have always been fascinated with its influence on music, fashion and entertainment," Singh stated. He will attend the NBA All-Star Game 2022 in February in Cleveland.

Odd pairing

Diana Penty's latest film, Shiddat, drops digitally today, and now she has another reason to cheer. The buzz is that she features in Sabbir Khan's next alongside Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The unlikely pairing is for a supernatural thriller. Khan and Siddiqui earlier collaborated on Munna Michael (2017). Penty will also be seen in Roshan Andrews's Malayalam film with Dulquer Salmaan.

Health scare

Shweta Tiwari was rushed to a hospital after she complained of low blood pressure. The actor is now on the road to recovery. Hectic shoot schedules and constant travelling took a toll on the television actor's health. Tiwari was in Cape Town for the shoot of Khatron Ke Khiladi. As soon as she returned, she began shooting for the web anthology, Swaad.

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