Mahira Khan reveals she was almost cast in Netflix’s Heeramandi

Mahira Khan Reveals She Was Almost Cast in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi

Pakistani superstar Mahira Khan recently disclosed that renowned Indian filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali had considered her for his Netflix series Heeramandi over 15 years ago.

In an interview with BBC Asian Network’s Haroon Rashid, Khan opened up about the opportunity. “I was a big fan of Bhansali’s work,” she shared. Khan recalled that while attending a childhood friend’s wedding in Bombay, she learned about the casting through Moin Baig, the concept creator of the project, who was in Pakistan scouting for actors.

As fate would have it, Khan’s friend, visiting designer Rizwan Baig for wedding preparations, mentioned her name as a potential candidate. At the time, Khan was working as a video jockey.

She recounted traveling to India for a last-minute meeting with Bhansali. “We had a long, exciting conversation,” Khan said. “He was very keen for me to be part of the project, which was initially envisioned as a film.” However, due to rising political tensions between India and Pakistan, the collaboration did not materialize.

Khan also shared a memorable moment from her Bollywood debut with Raees, opposite Shah Rukh Khan, where she had the chance to meet Bhansali again.

Earlier this year, Bhansali himself revealed during an interview that he had initially considered Mahira Khan, along with Fawad Khan and Imran Abbas, for Heeramandi. However, casting plans had to change over time.

Reflecting on the journey, Khan described it as a “crazy ride” and noted that she feels more at peace with herself now, despite the ups and downs of her career.