Heeramandi: Sanjay Leela Bhansali casting niece Sharmin Segal in leading role sparks off nepotism debate once again

Sanjay Leela Bhansali

‘s highly-anticipated series, ‘

Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar

‘ has finally made its debut and it is already drawing in a wide range of reactions.
Fans have been taking to social media to sing praise of the opulence and grandeur, depicted in the 8-part series.

Manisha Koirala

and

Sonakshi Sinha

‘s power play in the series coupled with captivating performances by

Aditi Rao Hydari

and

Richa Chadha

, have seemingly left viewers spellbound.

While many praised the show’s lavish production, there’s been a notable wave of dissatisfaction concerning the casting of

Sharmin Segal

, who happens to be Bhansali’s niece.
The criticism directed towards Segal’s performance centres around what some viewers perceive as her “expressionless” acting. Suggesting that the series could have reached masterpiece status with a different actor portraying the role of Alam, they attributed Segal’s casting to the debate surrounding ‘nepotism’ in Bollywood.

Those who tuned in to catch the premiere on May 1, echoed similar sentiments, claiming that while Sharmin’s character was well fleshed out, her casting seemed like a “mismatch” amidst her co-stars.
“Sharmin Segal is the reason why nepotism debate exists,” one commented.
Another said, “And she had this weird smirk on her face in certain scenes which just made zero sense given the context.”

Others went after the National Award-winning director for going ‘soft’ on the young actress. In a post, a fan said, “No one is accusing bhansali of nepotism when

Sharmin Sehgal

got this role only because she is Bhansali niece” and added, “She was too amateur for that role.”
Still, another said, “If he (Bhansali) wanted to launch her maybe he should have given her a smaller role.”
“I guess even Bhansali who is such a perfectionist is blinded when it comes to his own family,” said another.

In a post, a fan commented, “What’s surprising is that SLB is known as a hard Taskmaster on set. Like he will not move on from a shot unless he is happy with it. And he will berate his actors, scream at them, shout at them if they are not getting it right. But it seems that he, like Zoya – have fallen into the trap of being too lenient on nepo kids but what they don’t realise is that in the process of doing so it’s not only diminishing the value and quality of the final product but also their reputation as filmmakers.”
‘Heeramandi,’ a period drama marking Bhansali’s OTT debut, is set in pre-Independence India, and delves into the lives of courtesans in Lahore’s red-light district. The 8-part series offers a glimpse into a bygone era.