‘I thought he came for us to say no because…’ – Firstpost

Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos was in an interview with Nikhil Kamath and spoke about meeting filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali in an interview recently and spilled the beans on their magnum opus series Heeramandi that came out last year.

Sarandos revealed, “Heeramandi was probably one of the most creatively interesting projects I’ve worked on in India. I was involved in the greenlighting meetings for it. He (Sanjay Leela Bhansali) came to LA to do the pitch. He came in with this very big vision.”

The CEO added, “Honestly, it almost felt like a dare—like he was saying, ‘I dare you to make this; it’s so big. He’s a legend of cinema, so the idea of him making a TV Show was unheard of. I thought he came for us to say no. And then, when we said yes, there were lots of delays. It was a complicated production.”

“He built these enormous, practical sets that we shot on. There was something beautifully old-fashioned about every element of the production. And he was so proud of it. I was so proud of him. To me, Heeramandi is a true reflection of India’s deep, enduring love for cinema,” Sarandos added.

Sonakshi Sinha on Heeramandi

Heeramandi has completed one year, and I can only think about how time flies fast! I was beyond thrilled when I played Fareedan and Rehana Jahan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s grand vision. Bringing them to life was an unforgettable & unique experience, something that I will always cherish. I’m also filled with gratitude that the viewers poured so much love towards Fareedan, and I’m happy I could justify the roles. The characters and the series have come a long way. Both roles were deeply appreciated and accepted, and what more can one want as an actor