Anyone who has seen Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, with its elaborate sets and extravagant costumes, by now would know that the production’s budget was much more than expected. The Netflix series is among the most costly to be produced in India, partly because of the lavish set design and partly because of the high salaries of the large ensemble of principal actors.
The project had an astounding INR2 billion budget, of which director and filmmaker Bhansali received a substantial INR600 million to INR700 million, according to Hindustan Times. The newspaper did not independently verify the salaries of the actors, but it did cite them from a Money Control report.
Leading guy Sonakshi Sinha received the largest compensation of any member of the cast, totaling INR20 million, for her dual part as Rehana and Fareedan. Sinha recently defended the show’s errors that astute viewers pointed out, asserting that Bhansali had “never set out to deliver a history lesson.”
After Sinha, actor Aditi Rao Hydari came in second. Hydari’s earnings were reported by the publication to be between INR 10 million and INR 15 million. The older daughter of Mallikajaan, Bibbojaan, was portrayed by Hydari. Manisha Koirala charged INR 10 million for her role as courtesan and matriarch Mallikajaan in the epic drama series, and she was ranked next in the salary table.
Richa Chadha, who also received INR 10 million for playing Mallikajaan’s foster daughter Lajjo, was paired with Koirala. Fardeen Khan, who made a surprise return in the role of Wali, demanded INR 7.5 million for the web series.
On a somewhat lesser – though still massive – level, Sanjeeda Sheikh was paid INR 4 million to play Waheeda. In a same vein, Bhansali’s niece Sharmin Segal earned INR3 million for her performance as Mallikajaan’s younger daughter Alamzeb.
Even with its unique budget, the highly regarded Heeramandi has not escaped criticism. Despite the fact that many viewers have been impressed by Bhansali’s portrayal of opulence and splendor, astute and critical viewers have flocked to social media since the show’s premiere to voice their complaints.
The characters’ pronunciation in Urdu has been one of the points of contention for the show. “For a limited series produced on a lavish budget, with a crew of over 100 people, Bhansali could’ve done better in Urdu diction,” an unhappy commenter on the well-known microblogging platform X said.
To Sinha’s dismay, in addition to the mispronunciation of Urdu phrases, the historically incorrect depiction of Lahore’s red-light area was also promptly criticized by critics. One disgruntled viewer remarked, “I mean, either you don’t set your story in 1940’s Lahore, or if you do, you don’t set it in Agra’s landscape, Delhi’s Urdu, Lakhnavi dresses, and 1840’s vibe.” “It’s hard for my sorry Lahori self to let it go.”
eagerly had been written about the exquisite sets and costumes before the eagerly awaited premiere of the series. In interviews, Bhansali detailed the arduous work that went into creating his world and how the program had been in the works for decades. Even while the concert was a visual feast, some observers found the amount of luxury to be overly glitzy. One reader said, “Just wish the director had not overindulged and got carried away by his reputation for grandeur.”
Whatever opinions viewers may have of Heeramandi, there’s no denying that the show has helped the actors’ finances greatly.
I am a dedicated student currently in my seventh semester, pursuing a degree in International Relations. Alongside my academic pursuits, I am actively engaged in the professional field as a content writer at the Rangeinn website.