Sanjay Leela Bhansali finds unity as 'Heeramandi' receives love from India-Pakistan

Sanjay Leela Bhansali expressed a sentiment of unity between India and Pakistan, noting the positive reception of Heeramandi from both countries.

During an interview with IndieWire, the 61-year-old Indian filmmaker remarked that Heeramandi has fostered unity between India and Pakistan, sharing that Pakistanis eagerly anticipated the telling of this tale and are now showering him with immense love.

The Bajirao Mastani director said, “It’s a piece that somehow brings us all together when all India was one; it was undivided. These people belong to us as much as they belong to them." 

"I think they belong to both of us and both countries are showing a lot of love for finally the show being made.”

Bhansali also shared, “There’s a lot of love for people on both sides; leave aside a few people who would want to create issues — but those are not relevant.”

Discussing the criticism about his work, Bhansali said, “There are things in the characters that connect to people in my work and that is why they talk about it.”

He further noted that not everyone will share the same feedback, while many may appreciate his work, others may not.

He said, “It’s a part of a give-and-take with an audience and filmmaker. I don’t mind being loved when they give me love, and I don’t mind quite being criticized when they don’t connect to my work."

Starring Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Manisha Koirala, Sharmin Segal, Taha Shah Badussha, Farida Jalal, Shruti Sharma, Jayati Bhatia, Nivedita Bhargava, Adhyayan Suman, Shekhar Suman, Fardeen Khan, and more, Heeramandi was released on May 1.