Snehil Dixit
Mehra, also known as BC Aunty, recently served as an additional
director
on Heeramandi with filmmaker
Sanjay Leela Bhansali
. She described herself as a storyteller who finds fun in acting and confidence in her writing skills. She also mentioned that becoming an influencer was unplanned. However, she would choose directing as her primary role.
She shared that working with Bhansali was a dream come true and also opened up about the filmmaker’s anger issues.
She told Hindustan Times, “His principle is simple, either get convinced by his creative vision, or convince him with yours. I was told by many people that he has temper issues and they even tried to scare me. But my experience was completely opposite. He is an amazing teacher and a perfectionist so committed to his work that he wants the same commitment from his team as well. And there’s nothing wrong with it.”
“His stature does act against him as he has made a name for himself at that level. In today’s time, negativity gets more traction. So, along with his stature, it’s also about the access that everyone has today,” Mehra added.
While working as a writer and additional director, Mehra had a funny experience. She was once jokingly asked by Bhansali sir to deliver a line meant for a tawaif character in the show they were filming. Initially excited, she later found out it was just a prank. Mehra laughed it off, saying, “Main Heeramandi ki tawaif bante bante reh gayi’.
Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar is set to return with a second season. The series marked the OTT debut of Bhansali and told the story of Indian courtesans amid the freedom struggle. It starred Aditi Rao Hydari, Manisha Koirala, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal, Sanjeeda Shaikh, and Sonakshi Sinha.
This time around, the women of Heeramandi will head to India after the partition and look to settle in the Hindi or Bengali film industry.
Pratibha Ranta on playing Shama in Heeramandi: I was extremely nervous about meeting Sanjay Sir
