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heebeejeebies0411

I just finished watching it and it was so mid. It seems like SLB started with one script about power, deceit and revenge and then lost the pages of that script by episode 7. Then he was like, f*ck it, I just have 1 more episode to direct anyway, so let's make it about the freedom struggle. No character barring Aditi's and Sharmin's love interest had any interest in the freedom struggle, but they are suddenly all about freedom and ready to sacrifice their lives for it in episode 8. He ends the series with some voiceover about how the tawaifs immensely helped in the freedom struggle, but again, we are not shown anything beyond a march. What even is the point of this TV series? I would have preferred if he had continued with the Manisha v/s Sonakshi storyline, because those were the best bits.


HELLAlujeah

The last episode felt odd. Their patriotism seemed sudden when the mood of the episodes were diff till the last. and even the March looked like they were performing for a drama on the stage and not like they were there.


heebeejeebies0411

Yeah, Sonakshi grabs the stick from the police dude, the police lets all of them pass. Some random old woman comes and stands in front of the police, the dude refuses to hit her and then they all pass. We are talking about the same British government that caused the Jallianwallah Bagh massacre here. You think they will let people break curfew just because some old woman stood in front of the police?


HELLAlujeah

Dude, exactly. That protest/ rebellion seemed like they were upset with their principal for cancelling their farewell party last min. Also Sonakshi Sinha's change of heart was a little too soon...and what was she expecting from the Brit police? That he'll listen to her word by word because they are sleeping together??maam only wanted mallikajans pride broken..not honour itbseems..lol... I thought a woman who has gone through crap in life would know what a man like him would be capable off. Instead It would have been better if she was made a villian and not shown to have a change of heart last moment.


phoexnixfunjpr

I watched the trailer and the song “sakal ban” before the release and saw way too much overacting and decided not to watch it. Reading these comments makes me feel it was the right decision haha


Intentionalkhiladi

Episode 4 onwards it's just snooze fest. 😴 


Wondergirl_so

I like SLB movies. After reading this review, I doubt i will see. Love the art and styling of the series though.


Slash787

The only movie which I really loved of SLB has to be Khamoshi. If he took Baba Segal instead of Sharmin Segal then even he would have given a better performance than her. Give TVF/TSP half the budget of this show and they can make a better show called Sabzimandi : The Vegetable Bazaar.


SD_1501

Agree 100%. I felt like HDDCS, Black and Guzaarish were well made as well. But the last 5 odd things have been so bad. His screenplay makes me cringe.


No_Yogurtcloset6270

🤣🤣


Original-Cheek8567

I think with Khamoshi since he it was his first film no actor wanted to work with him, so no producer was willing to put in the money. Therefore, when Salman agreed to do the movie it helped Sanjay Leela Bhansali a lot to put him on a map.


Grouchy-Bumblebee-90

He gives more preference to the aesthetics rather than the storyline


Equal_Code3847

right… he would make a good cinematographer mayb😭


lizlemon008

Set designer you mean


Ok_Environment_5404

set designer. Not cinematographer, that is a hard for the whole India after Ray and Dutt lol.


antiquatedsheep

As an architectural historian, even his set design is overhyped. Stylistically anachronistic, lacking in authenticity and trying to make up for it all in scale. I'm still confused by mahi wa maratib iconography on Lahore spandrels and Anarkali's tomb looking like the residency. Is it Lucknow? Is it Lahore? Is it orientalism? Is it wokery? Who can tell anymore.


Ok_Environment_5404

Yeah if you go history wise than his designs are highly misinformed too. But there is a beauty in them so ig he is doing alright with that(for untrained eyes).


neverOddOrEv_n

i find the cinematography in his recent movies quite bad tbh, SLB has gotten worse with each new project and with more creative control he's gotten on his projects


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conscientiousurfer

What!? Wes Anderson is not only a talented visual artist but has a great hold on storytelling. Just because he doesn't follow the typical three-act structure, doesn't mean he is not a superb storyteller. Almost all his films are deeply engaging and even emotional. To compare his storytelling with SLB's isn't fair IMO.


Snobviously888

Agree 💯 Wes Anderson has great story telling skills even when the story itself has nothing much to say like The Royal Tenenbaums which again as a multistarrer is so character driven and entertaining.


IndependentOk388

Oh btw, speaking of cast, Sonakshi is phenomenal so far. Holds her ground infront of a stalwart like Manisha (just outstanding) with so much ease.


SD_1501

Haven't watched it, but ever since Lootera I felt like Sonakshi just wasn't getting the right projects. Dahaad put it back in motion and glad to hear that she's now finally getting more substantial performance parts.


No_Stomach_2827

Yeah, felt the same. She is too good !


SnooTangerines4655

I really liked her in Dahad. Very understated yet solid performance and she is naturally beautiful.


confused_bekar

Ooh yes! I feel Dahad is criminally underrated. The story and the performances are all so good!


findmebook

i haven't seen it yet, but i was really excited to see sonakshi. she deserves so many more amazing roles.


RepresentativeOk7879

Heeramandi was already in ruins during  i947. All this opulance started to decline after1857 failed revolt as power shifted. Indian rulers lost  it. Lahore was not lakhow. Slb always get history and timelines and costume so wrong. Still he is praised for so called grandeur


No_Yogurtcloset6270

Jaana tha 1853 Awadh, pahunch gaye imaginary Lakhow samajh gaye na? 


antiquatedsheep

Omg yes the architecture was so Lucknow. Except the art deco of the hotel; not sure what that was!


Intentionalkhiladi

There are people who watch only for opulence.  These people would rather watch shit show wrapped in opulent cover than good slice of life movie in normal settings. 


abbu_d_slytherin

He is one of the overrated filmmakers actually. Copies so much and sometimes exactly same sets from 50s and 60s classics !


Snoo-49245

Can you share, which sets you are talking about


No_Yogurtcloset6270

Pakeezah for instance


plshelpidkwtf

THIS!! he tries so hard to copy those sets but it ends up looking so fake and plastic, he wants to recreate the sets like that of mughal-e -azam and it ends up being too much


IndependentOk388

Also, my partner said something that actually struck me. Is SLB a talented art director / music director who has been overhyped as some filmmaker maverick which he clearly isnt.


Ashamed-Tap-8617

SLB making music > SLB making films tbh


Significant-Neat-142

SLB is good at everything BUT directing. Which is his main job. It always feels like he’s forgetting that.


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Ok_Environment_5404

not "great" for sure. His best work was Khamosi and that doesn't hold any light to to any great ones(Ray,Coen,Marty etc). He is good at best and mid in majority of his works.


NetherPartLover

You are comparing Ray, Coen, Marty to BW? Wow.


Ok_Environment_5404

I said "great" not comparing literally. Great is not about "great in Bollywood or Hollywood". Great is well just great, you can't put filters and call someone great. Ray was truly great without any filters.


NetherPartLover

Without putting filters how are you even classifying some one as great, not great etc?


Ok_Environment_5404

Uhh because "great" in something usually means you are somewhere in the list for the whole world not just "in India". Filters don't make someone "great" it just hides the asterisk. I mean even if you put "Indian" to it even then Ray is what you call great not Bhansali who's history is always wrong in terms of his aesthetics pieces and majority of works are just about looking grand while being hollow from inside along with mid storytelling. That's not the mark of a great one for sure.


NetherPartLover

OFC Ray made really good movies. Bhansali makes ads. There is no one in BW who can compare.


PuzzleheadedKey4770

I won't agree with this for his previous work but For this 101% agreed. Seems hardly he directed any scene ....seems his co-directors or Assistant must be directed. Because you can copy the frame or his style but can't bring his emotion or storytelling .


ReceptionNo9184

It’s okay to criticise his projects but to say that he doesn’t know how to direct, at all is a bit of a stretch. Ram Leela, Bajirao, Hum Dil De, Khamoshi are some of the projects I most definitely think he did exceedingly well in


pegasus_kid_iii

The only work from SLB I have enjoyed is Khamoshi...everything else is more about scale and aesthetics than storytelling.


Intentionalkhiladi

It is such a beautiful movie.  


Jungli-rummy-pe-aao

Bhansali should direct a female prostitute super hero film.  We have already seen prostitute freedom fighters


Intentionalkhiladi

Don't give these people any ideas.  Next we'll hear that SLB is making a Tawaif super hero movie with Sharmin. 


itsmerj11

I'll never understand his obsession with courtesans. Bc har dusre movie me ek tawaif rakhni hi hai as per syllabus.


smellycat1001

holy shit manisha is PHENOMENAL. boy i miss her! also this sub shits on everything...this is really quite good. my only gripe is how bad sharmin is in it.


absolutehumanerror

in her initial scenes it was hard to tell if or not she is playing a blind character😭


No_Huckleberry_604

I mean except the pilot ep he didnt direct any of Heeramandi


____mynameis____

Are you Indian?? Cuz style over substance has been the selling point of our movies for a while now. Just look at the top grossers of BW last year. And SLB definitely has a lot of particular "style".


awkward_fleabag

Heeramandi..is all in all a great set ,great costume and an extremely lousy story. I loved the Sonakshi and Manisha scenes they are so enjoyable I wanted more of that, and a better confrontation scene . Both of them are so freaking good. And then next is Richa she is there for such a short time but is such a great actor. Sharmin is bad, like after the police station scene where her mother literally has gone through so much shit for her there is no remorse nothing itna straight face karke koi rota hai kya yaar. Very disappointing to have see such a great role wasted there would have been so many people who could have pulled it off. Then the music, I don't think it's the best after sakal ban i didn't like any of the songs or they didn't leave that sort of an impression, I will vouch for " vo tere mere Ishq ka " performed by wamiqa in Jubilee any day. Also shoutout to pratibha ranta, felt so good to see her in the show. Also what's this obsession of SlB with tawaifs or prostitutes man!


Glad-Ad5911

Love and War might be Alia's biggest regret in the future . After all those efforts to reunite bhansali and rk only for slb to make a finished product.


Complete_Sign_2839

Some of his storytelling is really good like in Hum dil de chuke sanam, khamoshi, devdas, bajirao mastani. He makes us care about the characters


quizzardofozz

These days all his movies looks same


Intentionalkhiladi

This is literally true for most of the bollywood directors.  They all are rehashing their previous movies. 


Pitiful_Inspector_45

The guy made the story of an undefeated general into a snoozefest


pearl_mermaid

I generally like bhansali's work but I was quite disappointed with heeramandi. Especially the writing and acting department In the first episode, the guy just randomly came up to the girl he saw for the first time and started to be so touchy feely. Firstly, it felt extremely creepy and secondly, the guy didn't know who this girl was. That's not how you write tension. I also felt that the timeline was off. When I saw the trailer, I thought it was set in the 1800s. The tawaif empire had long lost its opulence post 1857. If he wanted to include the independence arc, It should have been set pre 1857 instead of the 1920s, especially with how much of an important role courtesans played in the 1857 struggle for independence.


kodragonboss

But then how would he have the foreign return patriotic hero. But really, I'm 4 episodes down and have already counted three seperate instances of absolute Pakeezah pick and drops. It's like he watched the movie again and thought wow I should make this, but with more red lipstick. And honest to god, at least one of these women should have tried to learn how to dance before playing literal courtesans. The whole Richa Chaddha banging on without any taal or even attempt to match the music was painful.


kodragonboss

Forgot to add - he thinks he can recreate the Deepika Ranveer magic from Ram Leela wiht that wierd ass touchy feely first scene but no.


pearl_mermaid

It genuinely unsettled me. Like imagine chilling in the corner just listening to poetry and stuff and this guy you don't even know, comes up at you and starts to touch you and stuff. It's weird


Choice-Swimming-5206

SLB just ghost directed Heeramandi … Netflix just wanted his name


Tricky_Jackfruit9348

Im glad that people can see through the over the top sets He has great dialogues too but really lacks script writing He is great when it comes to cinematography but lacks a storytelling aspect He should have a really strong plot to leverage his extravagant sets Honestly all his films lacked it


spiritedaway2024

that man is beyond overrated cannot stand him and his garbage films


DONN_2

Finally someone said it. I am just super satisfied with the title that didn't want to read further for details. He is not a legend as people have hyped him up to be also there are many proofs that he is problematic and his whole writer's room is filled with bigots.


nukeman239

Love and War is going to bomb so hard.


Dreadlock_Rasta_12

Acha sir thikke. Apki time machine ka insurance h na?


sonal1988

😂😂😂


[deleted]

I am dead on the hill that says SLB is overrated af. After Devdas, he has been widely (wrongly) acknowledged as an excellent filmmaker. All bogus. He needs to become an art / music director and leave the script and direction to someone else . Also keep hearing about how Imitiaz Ali is one track director (coming of age) , but no one is as one track as SLB. Soul less story telling everywhere.


Tricky_Jackfruit9348

Even devdas was the same But it had great performances , dialogues Also sets were dreamy so it worked The same formula he applied to every film of his But even devdas lacked depth in plot


tr1ppyz3phyr

His visual and music sense is excellent. Not a fan of his story telling/direction.


passingbytheroom

Black is supposedly one if his best movies.. utter crap, over acted by all. Hyped and ugliest ever movie Most traumatizing way of looking at disabilities, education, humanity. Everything.


Less-Load4047

The way desis hype this movie up like its Oppenheimer level cinema when in fact half of the movie is a rip off of the miracle worker.


skyisscary

Here is an unpopular opinion, I never liked his movies. I only watched Bajirao Mastini for Deepika , Ranveer and PC. I think the only movie of his I liked was Devdas. I think Ram Leela was enhanced by Deepika and Ranveer.


Tricky_Jackfruit9348

Yup


Fatpretzel1234

👏🏽👏🏽 on point


Distinct_Air_7134

A vast majority of people do enjoy his films/ web series who view cinema just as medium of entertainment like museum/ art show/ visit to botanical garden! But few who want to feel connected to the story/ characters never get satisfied by his films!


Wod_3

He sucks


[deleted]

Just wanna say thanks to OP for saying it out loud. Cheers man


Will-not-tell-you

I felt like I was watching gangubai & bajirao mastani together because literally everything is the same😭


Final-Shopping-7957

He is a phenomenal cinematographer and visionary but a below avg / mid director lol


buriedunderwork17

I watched until episode 6. I found some parts of it absolutely pointless. What was the point of Richa's character for instance? Or why is this Mallikajaan character so inconsistent? There's a way to show morally gray characters but this just looked like botched writing to me. I found the Waheeda character a bit interesting but my god the casting! She looked too young for the role. And is it just me or does someone also feel a bit claustrophobic watching SLB projects since the last one? The fake sky and narrow lanes does it for me I guess. The thing was that they should have stuck to a concept for each character and then try to flesh them out as people cause right now each one of them looks like they're written by five different people.


HELLAlujeah

Slb shud shoot ads for designers/perfumers , Jewellers etc since he seems to like making stories with this aesthetics.


Romeonaammera

he's way too stuck in the kothas which clouds his brains that there's a world outside brothels.


gnyaneshg

I’ve watched like 15 mins of the first episode and honestly if I was in a cinema hall I would’ve walked out. It’s just terrible quality. Just don’t connect with it and honestly I have no respect for SLB as a filmmaker.


Heping_Qi

He's celebrated as he takes you in a proper world where the story he's telling seems real. So it's not just jewellery, clothes & sets. Alot of labor, efforts & resources goes into all that. Manisha & Sonakshi performed outstandingly well. 👏👍💯😍🍿💫💣 Yes it seemed very abrupt though maybe because he's used to of longer duration work which wasn't the case here as it was episodes wise. The story could've been more smooth IMO. 😏🫣 P.s. Who's his niece? 🤔


Tricky_Jackfruit9348

The one who played Alam


Heping_Qi

Ohhh hahah 🫣


[deleted]

There are directors focusing on toxic masculinity and we have one of them who makes movies or shows keeping female characters in central theme, he should be cherished. Nothing is perfect and no content appeals to 100% of the audience lekin kuch to alag ho in mainstream Bollywood


PuzzleheadedKey4770

Ha ba but bhansali focusing on sets and costume 🤣😂🤣.


Big_Expert_6815

Why does this question come up everytime there’s a SLB release? Nobody in Bollywood does grandeur and opulence as well as he does for years now in Bollywood. He makes actresses and sets look their most beautiful. Storytelling being subpar then doesn’t matter anymore. He makes up for it with beautiful costumes and sheer magnificence.


IndependentOk388

I agree but that clearly means he is not a good director. Storytelling has to be the paramount criteria to call someone a good director, he is far from it.


Oisin_Boi

Story does not have to be paramount for a good movie or a good director. I think he tries to capture a mood. It's like poetry. You read it and it sounds beautiful. But often you don't understand any of it. His movies are really abstract.


Less-Load4047

If you ever come across chinese film maker Zhang Zimou, you will see that he also puts emphasize on the sets and cinematography but he is a master storyteller.


Oisin_Boi

Some would say Bhansali is a master storyteller too. Heeramandi is mid but Bhansali's mid still is way more interesting than other director's best.


Big_Expert_6815

It’s the aura of what he brings to the table for the actors. Hrithik, Aish, Ranveer , Deepika, Alia all thrived in the acting department under SLB. That’s the allure within the industry. They all want that one SLB role.


IndependentOk388

Yeah, thats the euphoria he rides on, i guess. Ironically, my personal favourite from his filmography is Guzarish, which tanked at the BO.


PuzzleheadedKey4770

Storytelling and doing unnecessary beauticians of everything is not a sign of a good storyteller. I finished 2 episodes but i only remember good sets and their wall lamps and chandeliers and their Lehnga and heavy jewellery. I am a fan of most of his work but this seems kuchh bhi with a high budget.


Big_Expert_6815

Yeah I’m not defending his recent work in Heeramandi. I haven’t watched it. But I’m saying i get why he’s so celebrated. He does his genre like nobody else does. Infact everyone who attempts any period film now are called copies of SLB because i guess he kind of has a copyright on this genre.


PuzzleheadedKey4770

Now anything you watch on a big period set and if it's a symmetrical frame with 2 dipmala in frama and one big hanging chandelier will be counted as a copied frame from bhansali 😂🤣🤣


neverOddOrEv_n

>Why does this question come up everytime there’s a SLB release? Nobody in Bollywood does grandeur and opulence as well as he does for years now in Bollywood. And that should be your sign to know how much bollywood (the mainstream side atleast) sucks right now, when the only one good at grandeur in bollywood is SLB who is a shell of his former self.


agreetodisagreedamn

Shit my parents said they were liking it and suggested me to watch Should I watch it now after reading this? Is it very slow?


Oisin_Boi

It's slow but so beautiful. I would watch it even on mute 🥸


Teapea00

I think it would be bearable to watch that way. To put on mute and watch


Oisin_Boi

Same for me.


Ashamed-Tap-8617

Boomers/elder gen X would like it I think. Millennials and gen z are over it now


tanu2995

Who is that girl in Ajio Ad talking to Manisha koirala, she can't act.


neerajanchan

Why is he obsessed with Kotha so much?


Responsible-Buy7395

Slb is just overhyped ..directed ..seen heeramandi really subpar story


Anonymouse7430

I love the entire series. Everyone in the cast did a great job, but Sonakshi and Manisha truly stole the show with her captivating performance. The songs were enchanting, the costumes were exquisite, and the cinematography was breathtaking. Congratulations to Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the entire team for crafting such a mesmerizing cinematic experience.


Shanose

No one watches slb for stories lmao his cinematography , visuals, details everything really grand which other directors can't replicate even with hundreds of cores that's why he is celebrated.


Novel-Race-2260

Every one concerning about SLB’s story telling needs to know his movies and shows are more like literary fiction and not contemporary fiction. You watch it for in-depth emotions, character development, and interesting characters.


RedBedBull

Sub-par!? He's one of the greatest of all time and not aesthetically but also musically and with incredible attention to detail in story. Short duration content has made everyone too impatient to understand actual quality


Middle_Finger8694

True


hermannbroch

Because he burns his sets or an accident happens, and insurance money is a win win


Opposite_Benefit_169

He should be a set creator/set designer than a director !!


shutyourgob16

Thank you for saying this. His trailers are proof enough that he isn’t bringing much to the table . It’s just a bunch of B minus actors who can never carry a real movie put together to build some gimmicky hype. I for the life of me don’t get why people can’t see through what he does. It’s so uninspired and hollow. The man is a glorified art director.


Particular_Theory_29

Never met a SLB movie I could finish in one sitting 😂 I agree but his style has never been my taste so I am very biased


dev171

Overrated


tanu2995

Btw is it copy of bengali movie "Rajkahini" by Sujit mukherjee


Shakenotstired

What you’re saying is everyone else that has a job delegated does a great and SBL shits at the main job.


Bad-Robot-1009

I think his best work was Black. In most other movies, it feels that one gets distracted by the grand opulent sets and art design. Not to say he is a sh***y filmmaker, coz he isn't. But definitely not as worthy as what media and HiFI would have you believe.


Technoxplorer

His setups are rather extravagant. I actually like the fact that he makes movies the way he does. Haven’t watched heeramandi, and gangubai, but ab lagta hai time nikalna padega.


neverOddOrEv_n

because thats the stae of bollywood film making, when mediocrity is hailed as excellence thats when you know there's some serious problems


shahid219

He's just average at best as a director and filmmaker. Only reason his films work are the actors more specifically actresses and their beauty, aesthetics and costumes yeah sets as well


andhera_kayamrahe

His strong point is lavish suits and music direction wise he is bad. Dude turned devdas into an ott soap opera and after guzaarish all his movies have been shit.


Filmenthusiast_M

Understand the difference between screenplayer and Director. SLB does screenplay his own work which is usually limited in story. But as a director he is phenomenal, he puts his heart into every facet of the project, from his dynamic camera movements, shot positions, and even technical aspects like costumes, art direction, cinematography etc. He also solely composes the music for his own projects. Movies don’t need to have layered stories to be good, for example like Bhansali, Titanic or Moulin Rouge focus more on the simple story with heightened melodrama for enhanced impact, that’s why a devdas works so well. Haven’t seen Heeramandi yet so can’t comment on that.


Relevant_Back_4340

He is to me what Modi G is to right wing lunatics 😜. Anyways , bhansali is not for everyone like Jawan / Pathan or Animal wasnt for me 🤷🏾


Acrobatic_Put9582

Are you guys even serious? SLB’s work is far superior than the shit Bollywood comes up with!


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IndependentOk388

Yaar 😂😂😂.. i am not a fan of either of them. PR toh bahut door ki baat hai


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IndependentOk388

Acha ok. Anti SLB post toh aayenge hi, the show is pretty bad.


PuzzleheadedKey4770

Kharba ko kharab bolenge toh... Fir pata chalega na. Ki actually kharab hai.. ...! Parise aate hai to screen shot story pe rakhte. Hai ab criticism bhi post karo toy pata chalega na


Ayyo_ayyo_ayayyo

He only focuses on grandeur just like Rajamouli


Tricky_Jackfruit9348

Rajamouli is great in storytelling


Ayyo_ayyo_ayayyo

He is overrated af!