The much-awaited series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazar was released on Netflix on May 1, 2024. Heeramandi is the debut web series of critically acclaimed filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Based in the backdrop of pre-independent India, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazar is a historical drama that revolves around a powerful group of courtesans (Tawaiffs) who had a great influence the Nawabs and Prince. Heeramandi features Manisha Koirala as Mallikajaan, chief courtesan of Shahi Mahal, Sonakshi Sinha as Rehana: former chief courtesan of Shahi Mahal, also Waheeda as Mallikajaan’s elder sister, Aditi Rao Hydari as Bibbojaan- Mallikajaan's elder daughter, Sharmin Segal as Alamzeb- Mallikajaan's youngest daughter, Tajdar's lover, Sanjeeda Sheikh as Waheeda- Mallikajaan's younger sister and more in the leading roles. Apart from the grand set and SLB's signature style storyline, it was Manisha Koirala's character Mallikajaan's character that impressed the fans most. Since you have landed on this page, True Scoop News assumes that you have already watched Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Netflix series and are wondering about real-life Mallikajaan or Heermandi's real-life Mallikajaan shown in the series. Below is all about Heeramandi's real-life Mallikajaan-
Who was real-life Mallikajaan?
As per Mashable India, Mallikajaan shown in Heeramandi was inspired by a real-life character. In a video posted by the entertainment portal, it was alleged that Mallikajaan's real character was named Gauhar Jaan. Gauhar Jaan was one of the first performers to record music on 78 RPM records in India and was also known as the first recording hour superstar of India.
As a result, True Scoop News tried to dig more about real-life Mallikajaan aka Gauhar Jaan. Below is all about Gauhar Jaan-
Gauhar Jaan was born on 26 June 1873 in Azamgarh. Gauhar's father was William Robert of Armenian origin, who worked in an ice factory, and her mother Victoria Heming of Indian origin named her Eileen Angelina. When Eileen was just 6 years old, her parents' fights escalated and they both got divorced. After this, Eileen's mother Victoria married Khurshid and accepted Islam. After marriage, Victoria came to Kolkata in 1883, where she got recognition by the name Badi Malka Jaan.
The name of the daughter Eileen became Gauhar Jaan. Malka Jaan and her daughter Gauhar took training in singing and classical dance. Kale Khan of Patiala, Ali Baksh, Ustad Wazir Khan of Rampur, Pyare Sahib of Kolkata, and Great Maharaj Bindadin of Lucknow were his gurus. Within 3 years, Malka Jaan bought a building at 24 Chitpore Road (Rabindra Sarani) for Rs 40 thousand, where she used to organise her functions. Gauhar Jaan was reportedly sexually abused at the age of just 13 while living in a brothel with her mother.
Gauhar Jaan's Pic
Gauhar Jaan's pic
Reel-life Mallikajaan
Notably, a user commented on on the video posted by the Entertainment Portal on real-like Mallikajaan and wrote, "Your content is intriguing, but I noticed a factual inaccuracy, It's important to clarify that Gauhar Jaan and Malka Jaan from Heeramandi are not related. Gauhar Jaan hailed from Banaras, with her mother's name later converted to Malka Jaan, while the Malka Jaan depicted in Heeramandi hailed from Lahore. Each had their own distinct stories and backgrounds. And the series of SLB did highlight the influential, educated, and patriotic nature of courtesans, emphasizing the impact of British colonialism on their reputation."
To know where is real life Heeramandi CLICK HERE