Bollywood filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali is currently enjoying the success of his debut web series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. Released on May 1, the period drama series received mixed reviews from critics and audience. The show was also appreciated for brilliant performances of the actors, however, Bhansali's niece, actress Sharmin Segal, was brutally trolled for her 'expressionless' acting throughout the series.
Now, in an interview, Bhansali said he did not cast Sharmin in Heeramandi because she is his relative. He also stated that the actress had to 'go through the grind' and give several auditions.
Revealing why he cast Sharmin to play the role of Alamzeb, Bhansali told India Today, "She has a face of what Alamzeb should be - somebody who doesn't want to be a tawaif or has no makings of it. You needed somebody with very fresh, innocent quality to her, somebody who doesn't talk like a tawaif. And that person wants to break free with some pursuit of wanting to write poetry. So, I felt that Sharmin was the correct choice for Alamzeb."
Sharmin was also criticised and called a nepo kid after the show's release. However, the director has now stated that Sharmin did not receive any kind of favours or leeway from him, and that she had to work equally hard just as everyone else to get the part.
Opening up about how Sharmin had to go through the grind, Bhansali added, "I didn’t cast her because she's my niece. She had to go through the grind. There were innumerable number of tests and auditions. There was no end to the number of tests I've done with her. After I've decided to cast her, then I said you have to go through the grind, you have to get it right. Because this is a world, you've never been to. You've never acted in a world like that. All these other actors on the show have worked over the period of time in a film like this or a character like this. They have understood all these nazakat and thumka and nakhra."
Earlier, Sharmin also revealed that she had to audition 16 times to finally bag the role and that she had to undergo preparations for a year.
Heeramandi has emerged to be one of the most watched series to have released this year, and while the show was lauded as was the cast, Sharmin was the only one who was bashed for her unimpressive acting chops in the magnum opus.
The actress was even trolled under her social media posts, so much so that she had to turn off the comments.
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