There can’t be many arguments against the fact that Heeramandi is the biggest project ever helmed by Indian OTT. A huge cast, a great director and never-before-seen sets.
It has all the ingredients of being a Magnum Opus and the trailer is finally out. Time and again we have appreciated beauty in cinema. We even recommended a series of various films that are extremely beautiful visually.
Bhansali is unmatchable in that sense as his sense of beauty and aesthetics starts where others exhaust themselves.
But, is beauty everything?
We refer you to re-watch the classic video of Pyar Hua Ikrar Hua. The 50s Bombay, thick rain drops and the dark night with mist look ethereal. It is naturally one of the most beautiful and captivating films ever made in the Hindi film industry.
But, beauty is there to support a point. It is not the whole point. We like to remember films for great stories, greater characters or even better, memories.
Saawariya, again by Bhansali is an eye candy. But, we rarely count it as one of the best Bhansali films because it doesn’t excel in anything apart from great visuals.
We hope that “Beauty” does not emerge as the hamartia of Heeramandi. To put it simply, hamartia is a fatal flaw that causes an end to a particular character.
We do realise that “a thing of beauty is a joy forever” but the audience has changed, dynamics have changed. We are more demanding than ever. Let’s hope that Heeramandi as a series has more great things to offer than merely visuals. Because the trailer clearly had nothing more to excite us.