Sharmin Segal, rising to fame from the widely praised web series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, has become a polarizing figure. Her association with the esteemed filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who spearheaded the series, brought back discussions regarding nepotism in the industry. However, during a recent episode of The Great Indian Kapil Show, Sharmin, appearing with her Heeramandi co-stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Sanjeeda Shaikh, astonished the audience by sharing that she underwent an audition for her part as Alamzeb, despite being related to Bhansali as his niece.
When Kapil inquired, “Kya unhone aapka sach me audition liya tha ya aapne unko mamu banaya?” (Did they truly audition you or did you just leverage your uncle-niece relationship?)”, Sharmin responded mentioning a rigorous, year-long journey that included sixteen auditions. She disclosed on the show, “Ek saal ke liye prepare kiya aur 16 baar auditions diye” (I prepared for a year and gave 16 auditions for the role).”
Sharmin’s portrayal portrayal in the show has garnered diverse opinions with some online users criticizing her as “lacking expression” and labeling her acting as “below par.” Faced with substantial critique, Sharmin chose to deactivate the comment section on her Instagram account.
Despite the varying opinions on her performance, Sharmin’s fellow cast members have rallied around her, condemning the hurtful trolling she has endured. Aditi, portraying Bibbo Jaan, Alamzeb’s elder sister in the Netflix series, recently expressed her stance on the matter. She stated in an interview with journalist Puja Talwar on her YouTube channel, “100%. It’s horrible to pick on anybody. I know some people like something and some people don’t. There is a way to say it. It can get very mean. It has gotten very mean and I think it’s not fair and it shouldn’t happen like that. I don’t know what else to say but I do feel bad. I think we should all understand it and be there for each other.”
Heeramandi is set against the backdrop of the pre-Independence era in the 1940s. It explores the cultural reality of a prominent red-light district through the lens of courtesans and nawabs. The series boasts a star-studded cast, including Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, and Sharmin Segal.
News18 gave Showsha 4.5 stars and wrote, “Bhansali pens a near-perfect screenplay, and it is this rich writing that already forms an impressive foundation for the show. Each character is written with a lot of courage, empathy, and sensitivity. Here, each female character is so well-fleshed out, including those in the periphery, that they all deserve a spin-off of their own.”
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