Sharmin Segal's Heeramandi Co-Star Comes Out In Support Of Bhansali's Niece Amid Criticism: 'I've Seen Her...'

Sharmin Sehgal Criticsm For Heeramandi: Ever since the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, the 8-episode web series has become the hot topic of discussion for various reasons. Sharmin Segal, who plays the role of Alamzeb in the Netflix series, has particularly been at the receiving end of severe backlash and trolling lately over her acting in the show. Now one of Sharmin's Heeramandi co-star has come out in support of the actress.

Heeramandi Cast, Plot Deets & More

Jointly directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Mitakshara Kumar, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar had its OTT premiere on 1st May 2024 on Netflix.

Set in pre-independent India against a burgeoning freedom movement, Heeramandi stars Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Manisha Koirala, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal and Sanjeeda Shaikh as tawaifs (courtesans). The series also boasts a dynamic male cast including Fardeen Khan, Taha Shah Badussha, Shekhar Suman, and Adhyayan Suman in significant roles.

Sharmin Sehgal Faces Criticism For Heeramandi

Sharmin Segal, who happens to be niece of showrunner Sanjay Leela Bhansali, unfortunately failed to impress the audience with her portrayal as Alamzeb in Heeramandi.

Netizens are calling her out for her 'expressionless' acting, a certain section of fans have accused her of landing the role because she is Bhansali's niece. While Sharmin has remained tight-lipped about the trolling, she recently turned off the comments section on Instagram.

Sharmin's Heeramandi Co-Star Comes Out In Support

Now Sharmin's Heeramandi co-star Shruti Sharma, who played the role of Saima in the series, has reacted to reports of Sharmin getting troleld for her acting. Talking to Pinkvilla, Shruti stated, "Honestly, I wasn't aware that people were trolling her until now. I don't know what audiences have liked or not liked about Sharmin, but I've seen her trying her best like everyone else on the sets. It doesn't matter who's being trolled, but trolling is a bad thing to do."

"Criticism is one thing; healthy criticism is always welcome, but trolling is unacceptable. It is a very negative way of approaching anyone. It is a kind of mental harassment. If it is happening, I am very concerned for her right now," she further added.

For those unawared, Sharmin made her Bollywood debut opposite Meezaan Jafri in the 2019 film, Malaal, produced by Bhansali. Sharmin completed her acting course from New York.