JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Heeramandi: Shekhar Suman on how Sanjay Leela Bhansali ideated oral s*x scene on set; 'It was a strange interpretation'
Shekhar Suman recalls how Sanjay Leela Bhansali created the unscripted or*l s*x scene on the sets and how he nailed it one take. Read for details.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known as a filmmaker who is hard to please. If he's not convinced about a shot or can notice even the slightest error in it, he demands a retake. Well, it works wonders for the film and the audience but often actors and technicians have to bear the brunt.
Shekhar Suman, who plays a Nawab in SLB's big-budget web series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, recently opened up something unusual on the filmmaker's sets. The veteran actor talked about shooting a bizarre unscripted oral s*x scene in the film so well that the filmmaker gave his thumb in one take. Interestingly, the technicians at Heeramandi later thanked Suman for getting it done in one take, or else SLB would've gone on and on. Shekhar also talked about how SLB came up with the idea about this scene on the sets and shared it with him.
How the oral s*x scene from Heeramandi was ideated and shot
During a recent interview with Zoom, Shekhar Suman opened up about shooting for the oral s*x scene in Heeramandi. The veteran actor shared that the scene was unscripted and Sanjay Leela Bhansali thought of it on the sets. The filmmaker even sought his opinion and permission before shooting it.
Shekhar recalled going to shoot the scene with full preparation, and just before it was about to begin, SLB said to him that he had thought of a bizarre interpretation of this, and everyone, including ADs, was stunned after hearing it. "The scene is about a nawab who is peeing out of a carriage, and in his state of inebriation, he is trying to make out with Mallikajaan," he explained while adding that Bhansali wanted the nawab to turn around and get f**latio mid-air, thinking that Mallikajaan is sitting on that side.
The actor recalled that it was a strange interpretation—something that wasn't done by anybody before. But Sanjay Leela Bhansali told him, "I’m fine if you say no, if you find it too bizarre." However, Shekhar Suman agreed to do it and nailed it in one take after understanding the tonality of the scene. He shared that SLB loved the shot and said 'Magnificent' as he came running. All the technicians came over and thanked the actor, saying that if he didn't like the shot, he would've gone on and on for hours.
More about Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar
Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar features an ensemble cast with gorgeous ladies Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanjeeda Shaikh, and Sharmin Segal in the lead. Besides these spectacular actresses, the drama series stars Taha Shah, Shekhar Suman, Adhyayan Suman, and Farida Jalal in pivotal roles.
Consisting of eight episodes, the series was released on Netflix on May 1. The show delves into the world of courtesans, who once reigned as queens, and is set against the backdrop of pre-independence India. With love and treachery being the central themes, Heeramandi opened up to positive reviews from critics and viewers.
