Heeramandi

But the fantasy it leads to is so utterly romantic and remote, the only responses possible are awe and, sometimes, annoyance. Heeramandi, a passion project that took off after years in development and planning, mirrors his film-making's finest and frustrating features. Take Devdas, Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat or Gangubai Kathiawadi, operatic period dramas appeal to Bhansali’s inner classicist, desi vintage drama fetishist and Broadway musical enthused mind. Or pretty much anything categorised under 'the golden era of'. Set in 1920s Lahore when British India was on the cusp of change, Heeramandi's courtesans survive personal and professional storms against the backdrop of India's fight for independence and Nawabi culture on a slow but sure decline.