Heeramandi has been one of the most ambitious projects of director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. It was last year that Netflix announced its association with the film, and it is the streaming giant that would be backing up the project. Now, it has been learnt that Netflix is shelling out a whopping Rs. 200 crores for the production of this project. In fact, reports further suggest that Sanjay Leela Bhansali is himself pocketing Rs. 65 crores as the directorial fee.
According to a report in Bollywood Hungama, Netflix is investing around Rs. 200 crores for Heeramandi. A source claimed, “Bhansali will be pocketing around Rs. 60-65 crore rupees as a directorial fee, the rest of the 200-crore budget for Heeramandi goes into production costs and in paying the actors.”
Well, given that the film is a multi-starrer, we wonder what each actor would be charging for their part in the series. The same report mentions that stars like Sonakshi Sinha, Manisha Koirala, Huma Qureshi and Richa Chadha have agreed to work at reduced rates for the project. It is rumoured to have roped in Madhuri Dixit in the leading role.
Earlier, reports had been doing the rounds that yesteryear actress Mumtaz has been approached to be a part of Heeramandi. However, she was in no mood for a comeback and declined the offer. It was also said that Alia Bhatt had offered to be a part of Heeramandi for free, but SLB did not have any role for her.
Talking about Heeramandi, Sanjay Leela Bhansali had said in a statement, “Heeramandi is an important milestone in my journey as a filmmaker. This is an epic, first of its kind series based on the courtesans of Lahore. It is an ambitious, grand and all-encompassing series; therefore I am nervous yet excited about making it. I am looking forward to my partnership with Netflix and bringing Heeramandi to audiences all over the world.”
