Mumbai, April 30
As Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period series, "Heeramandi" will complete one year of release on Thursday, Richa Chadha aka Lajjo commemorated the occasion by penning a gratitude note for all those who worked on the show, and those who showered it with love.
"Thank you to everyone who worked on the show and everyone who watched it! thank you @netflix_in , @monika__shergill @tanyabami for backing @bhansaliproductions vision. Love you sir, you're a dream. A memorable experience and an unforgettable spectacle of a show! Love u dear co-stars, and congrats Moin Beg," Richa wrote on her Instagram.
The diva also dropped a couple of snippets of her iconic role as Lajjo on social media.
Back in January this year, Richa opened up about her dreams of 'convincing' Sanjay Leela Bhansali to cast her. Talking about her 2011 dream journal, she revealed that one of her key goals was to "convince" the ace filmmaker to cast her.
Taking to her Instagram, Richa posted a string of photos of herself, with her actor husband Ali Fazal, and their newborn daughter, Zuneyra Ida Fazal.
Richa also penned a lengthy note saying, "This is my first post of 2025. I was journaling yesterday (yes, I was using the same one that I used in 2011, a year before the release of Gangs of Wasseypur that put me on the map), and you can see, one of dreams...articulated in the list. To 'convince Sanjay Bhansali to cast me. What a year it's been, from being able to perform Lajjo with maestro and check that off the list of dreams...then birthing a beautiful daughter and our first film as producers! @girlswillbegirls_themovie!!!."
"Heeramandi" sheds light on the lives of tawaifs in the red-light district of Heera Mandi in Lahore during the Indian independence movement against the British Empire.
Along with Richa, the project saw some powerful performances by Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Sharmin Segal Mehta, and Taha Shah Badussha.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Richa was absolutely brilliant as Lajjo! Her emotional scenes made me cry buckets 😠The whole cast was perfect but she stood out for me. SLB's vision combined with such talented actors made Heeramandi a masterpiece. Waiting for season 2!
While the production was visually stunning, I felt the story could have been tighter. Some episodes dragged a bit. But no denying Richa's performance was top-notch - she brought so much depth to Lajjo's character.
As someone from Lahore originally (now in Delhi), I appreciate how Bhansali captured the essence of Heera Mandi. Richa's portrayal was so authentic! Though I wish they'd shown more of the cultural aspects beyond just the courtesan angle. Still, kudos to the entire team ðŸ‘
The show was good but I'm more impressed by Richa's journey - from dreaming about working with SLB to actually delivering such a powerful performance. That's real dedication to craft! Also, congrats to her and Ali on their baby girl â¤ï¸
Lajjo's character arc was the soul of Heeramandi! Richa brought such vulnerability and strength simultaneously. The scene where she sings that heartbreaking song still gives me goosebumps. More such meaningful roles for our talented actors please!
While the show was visually spectacular, I hope future projects about pre-Partition India show more of the ordinary people's lives too, not just the elite/nawab culture. That said, Richa and the entire cast did a fabulous job bringing their characters to life.
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