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A dilapidated neighbourhood in Lahore holds the secret of a-decades long royal history. Heeramandi, which today, has been tagged as a “red-light area” in the city, was once its beating heart; a cultural hub of music, dance and literature. The tawaifs (courtesans) of Heeramandi were akin to royalty; the women gifted dazzling society debuts and the patronage of kings and nobles.
The courtesans of Heeramandi were a dominant force in the changing cultural landscape of colonial India; they were shrewd businesswomen and intellectuals actively involved in local administrative matters. More than anything, though, they were patriots at heart.
The history of Heeramandi is rich, complex, and bewitching; a dream for a filmmaker to bring to life. And who better than Sanjay Leela Bhansali, a director synonymous with stunning visuals, to claim the mantle?
Bhansali, the creator of Indian cinema’s grandiose titles—Devdas, Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat and, most recently, Gangubai Kathiawadi—had been holding on to a loose script of Heeramandi for the past 14 years, ever since writer Moin Beg had first approached him with the story. The production was finally announced in 2021, with two surprising pointers: it would be in series format, a first for the director, and it would stream on Netflix. A star cast of Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh and Sharmin Segal only added to the show’s appeal.
The end result — a captivating series about politics, ambition, love and betrayal set in the backdrop of a pre-partition 1940s India, when the Indian Independence Movement against the British Raj was gaining serious momentum. While many of the events showcased in Bhansali’s Heeramandi are most definitely fictitious, the director has attempted to keep the baseline of the story true to its roots. Before you indulge in a satisfying binge-watch, here’s everything you need to know about the real story of Heeramandi.
Heeramandi: The real story behind the royal courtesans in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's stunning period drama
Going by historical records, Heeramandi came into existence at the behest of Hira Singh Dogra, the prime minister of the Sikh Kingdom of Lahore from 17 September 1843 to 21 December 1844 and son of Dhian Singh Dogra, the trusted general of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In a boost to the local economy, Hira Singh decided to establish a grain market (“Heera Singh Di Mandi”) in the Shahi Mohalla, deemed the royal neighbourhood considering its proximity to the royal court, which already housed the tawaifs of the Walled City of Lahore. Once the grain market was set up, turning the region into an economic hub, the tawaif quarters of Heeramandi also became more popular.
As shown in the series, the tawaifs of Heeramandi were young women who had been trained in music, dance, poetry, etiquette, languages and literature from a young age. They were educated and salaried—both privileges for women of these times. Most of the courtesans were born into families of tawaifs and kanjri, who were performers of a lower social status. At its peak, the courtesans of Heeramandi attracted the patronage of only royals and nobles, and later, following the advent of the British Raj—colonial officers. They were respected members of society (although the series presents a more complex picture), would attend social gatherings hosted by the elite, and travel extensively to form new connections. They would hold poetry and (Indian classical) dance recitals and were trained in the arts by stalwarts in these fields.
However, the onset of the British Raj brought with it a world of challenges for Heeramandi. Stripped of their lands and titles, the aristocrats who served as patrons of the courtesans, began to withdraw their support and protection. The British officers began to deem Heeramandi as “Bazaar-e-Husn” (Market of Beauty), thereby turning one of the richest cultural centres into a prostitution hub. As the royal patrons were replaced by wealthy men from the city and British soldiers, the royal tawaifs were reduced to the status of local sex workers.
Following the decline of Heeramandi, many tawaifs entered the entertainment space, acting and dancing in movies in the Indian and Pakistani film industries. Subsequently, a number of music and dance studios opened up in Heeramandi, and over time, the historic region witnessed the rise of food streets, restaurants and shops. Today, Heeramandi is only a shadow of the vibrant, thriving cultural hub it used to be. However, the rich history of the diamond market remains etched in every corner of the walled city.