Sharmin Segal revealed that she didn't get the part in 'Heeramandi' because she is related to Sanjay Leela Bhansali. She said that she auditioned 16 times for her role as Alamzeb.
Ever since Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Heeramandi’ was released on Netflix, the show has become the talk of the town. While one section of fans praised the show for its elaborate sets and attention to detail, another section focused only on Sharmin Segal and trolled her for her acting. Many criticized her and talked about how she bagged the role only because she is related to Bhansali. In a recent interview, Segal opened up and revealed that she had to audition 16 times for her role as Alamzeb.
Appearing on ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’ with the cast of ‘Heeramandi’, host Kapil Sharma asked her how she got her part as Alamzeb in the period drama. Sharma asked her, “Kya unhone aapka sach me audition liya tha ya aapne unko mamu banaya?” (Did they truly audition you or did you just leverage your uncle-niece relationship?)”
The actor revealed that she spent a year preparing for her role and auditioned 16 times. Segal said, “Ek saal ke liye prepare kiya aur 16 baar auditions diye” (I prepared for a year and gave 16 auditions for the role).” She was trolled for her acting in the show on social media. She had limited the comments on her Instagram following this row. However, the cast of ‘Heeramandi’ came out in support of her and defended her in almost all of their interviews.
Recently, Aditi Rao Hydari defended Segal in an interview. She said, “There is a way to say it. It can get very mean. It has gotten very mean, and I think it’s not fair and it shouldn’t happen like that. I don’t know what else to say but I do feel bad. I think we should all understand it and be there for each other.”
Starring Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Sanjeeda Shaikh, ‘Heeramandi’ is set in Lahore in the 1940s. It revolves around the life of the courtesans, nawabs, and British officers.