Love, power and freedom: First look of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi- The Diamond Bazaar out!

Richa Chadha and Sonakshi Sinha in Heeramandi first look

Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali who has made epic dramas like 'Bajirao Mastani', 'Devdas', 'Padmaavat', and 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' is now gearing up for his debut in the world of web series. The much awaited 'Heeramandi' will be streaming on Netflix soon. The series will have the trademark aesthetics of a Sanjay Leela Bhansali' film with strong female characters leading the narrative.

The first look teaser of Heeramandi was dropped earlier today. The teaser gives us a glimpse of the scale and intensity of the plot without revealing much details. We get glimpses of actors Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Manisha Koirala and Sonakshi Sinha in the video. The series also stars Sharmin Sehgal and Sanjeeda Sheikh.

Sharing the first look video, the official Instagram handle of Netflix wrote, "Here's your first look at legendary Indian creator Sanjay Leela Bhansali's first series EVER: Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar!"

The series 'Heeramandi-The Diamond Bazaar' will explore stories of courtesans and the hidden cultural reality of Heeramandi, a dazzling district, in pre-independent India. It's a series about love, betrayal, succession and politics in the kothas, which promises Sanjay Leela Bhansali's trademark sets, multi-faceted characters and soulful compositions. This series will be created by the filmmaker with an eye for detail that he is so famous for.

Sharing his thoughts on Heeramandi, Sanjay Leela Bhansali had earlier said, "Heeramandi is an important milestone in my journey as a filmmaker. This is an epic, first of its kind series based on the courtesans of Lahore. It is an ambitious, grand and all-encompassing series; therefore I am nervous yet excited about making it. I am looking forward to my partnership with Netflix and bringing Heeramandi to audiences all over the world."

"‘Heeramandi' has nuances which you feel are found in the great Kamal Amrohi's ‘Pakeezah'. ‘Heeramandi' is my tribute to the great ‘Mughal-e-Azam', ‘Pakeezah' and Mehboob Khan sahab's ‘Mother India'," Bhansali had said earlier at an in-conversation session with Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

The ace filmmaker said iconic Indian directors Raj Kapoor, Yash Chopra, Mehboob Khan, Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt and V Shantaram have inspired him to weave stories around women. "They told beautiful women stories. They understood that she is the creator of man, therefore she needs to be given a place in literature, cinema and art. They always told stories of women, they were not necessarily telling stories of men." The director further said his filmography is filled with strong women characters - from Annie in 'Khamoshi: The Musical', to Nandini in 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' and Michelle in 'Black'.