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Jason Shah, who portrayed British officer Cartwright in the series ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar,’ has made a startling revelation regarding his experience on set. According to Shah, acclaimed director Sanjay Leela Bhansali was not as involved in directing his scenes as expected, leading to a sense of untapped potential in his performance.
The actor expressed his dissatisfaction during an appearance on the ‘Inside the Mind with Rushabh’ podcast, shedding light on what he perceived as a missed opportunity for greater character development.
Jason noted that Sanjay Leela Bhansali, renowned for his meticulous direction in films, did not direct many of his scenes in ‘Heeramandi.’ He attributed this to the nature of web series production, which involves longer schedules and multiple episodes. “It was his first time doing a web series. Film is a little different because web is a little stretched, you’ve got a lot of episodes to make, and it’s not made in a short tim. He also wasn’t directing that much. I had other directors with me,” Jason Shah explained. This lack of direct engagement from Bhansali left Shah feeling that his character’s full potential was not realized. He believed that with more attention, the series could have exhibited richer, more vibrant storytelling.
The actor also highlighted a lack of communication on set, which hindered his ability to fully explore his character. “What didn’t happen was the depth of the character. If you look at Gandhi, with Ben Kingsley, they really show how far racism can go, and the dichotomy between who someone thinks they are, and another human being,” he said, emphasizing the missed opportunity for deeper character exploration. When asked if he voiced these concerns to Bhansali, Shah laughed and replied, “I think I said enough. I would’ve become a problem maker if I said more.”
‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’
‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar,’ which premiered on May 1, 2024, features a star-studded cast including Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Segal Mehta, Farida Jalal, Fardeen Khan, Shekhar Suman, and Adhyayan Suman. The series delves into the lives of courtesan and their struggles, exploring themes of empowerment and resilience.
The actor expressed his dissatisfaction during an appearance on the ‘Inside the Mind with Rushabh’ podcast, shedding light on what he perceived as a missed opportunity for greater character development.
Jason noted that Sanjay Leela Bhansali, renowned for his meticulous direction in films, did not direct many of his scenes in ‘Heeramandi.’ He attributed this to the nature of web series production, which involves longer schedules and multiple episodes. “It was his first time doing a web series. Film is a little different because web is a little stretched, you’ve got a lot of episodes to make, and it’s not made in a short tim. He also wasn’t directing that much. I had other directors with me,” Jason Shah explained. This lack of direct engagement from Bhansali left Shah feeling that his character’s full potential was not realized. He believed that with more attention, the series could have exhibited richer, more vibrant storytelling.
The actor also highlighted a lack of communication on set, which hindered his ability to fully explore his character. “What didn’t happen was the depth of the character. If you look at Gandhi, with Ben Kingsley, they really show how far racism can go, and the dichotomy between who someone thinks they are, and another human being,” he said, emphasizing the missed opportunity for deeper character exploration. When asked if he voiced these concerns to Bhansali, Shah laughed and replied, “I think I said enough. I would’ve become a problem maker if I said more.”
‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’
‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar,’ which premiered on May 1, 2024, features a star-studded cast including Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Segal Mehta, Farida Jalal, Fardeen Khan, Shekhar Suman, and Adhyayan Suman. The series delves into the lives of courtesan and their struggles, exploring themes of empowerment and resilience.
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