Entertainment roundup: Heeramandi release date announcement; Chamkila trailer launch and more

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi to release on May 1: If it has anything to do with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, then you know it will have grandeur written all over it. Netflix on Wednesday evening announced the release date for Bhansali's debut web-series, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, with an aerial drone show in Mumbai. Present at the release-date announcement were cast members including Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh and Sharmin Segal. The series is slated to release on Netflix on May 1, 2024. Read more

Heeramandi actress Sonakshi Sinha talks about her working experience with Sanjay Leela Bhansali: In the filmmaker’s debut series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, the Kalank actress plays the role of Fareedan, a courtesan in the pre-independence era. Sinha says she is glad that she is getting to play such a variety of roles, especially on OTT where people are willing to take risks with women protagonists and stories which would otherwise not be able to find theatrical releases. “I try to do different roles because that’s what keeps me excited about my work - to go on set and be a different person every day,” she says, adding that it is an amazing time to be in the acting profession. “The OTT boom has opened up a lot of avenues and the audience has become much bigger,” she says. Read more

Diljit Dosanjh tears up at the launch of Chamkila: Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali has made many movies which have touched an emotional chord with the audience. His forthcoming movie Amar Singh Chamkila, based on the life of the popular Punjabi singer, is a moving account of the journey of the stage performer who was killed at the age of 27. Portraying his life onscreen is none other than one of the most popular Punjabi singers and actors of our times – Diljit Dosanjh. At the launch of the film’s trailer, the director told him that while the former has achieved a lot in his life, this is just the beginning. No wonder, the actor had tears of gratitude in his eyes which he tried to wipe away discreetly. Read more

Four reasons to watch Amar Singh Chamkila on Netflix: Netflix launched the trailer of Imtiaz Ali’s upcoming film Amar Singh Chamkila which will be released on April 12. The biopic tells the tale of the popular Punjabi singer who was killed at the age of 27. Starring Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra, the movie recounts the journey of his soaring success and brutal criticism before his untimely death. AR Rahman’s soaring music, Diljit and Parineeti’s performances and a captivating and fascinating tale lie at the heart of the biopic. Read more