Heeramandi’s Jayati Bhatia: Sharmin Segal has to move forward from this, and work harder now

Jayati Bhatia of Heeramandi discusses how her co-star Sharmin Segal was trolled for her performance and how she plans to move on.


Actress Sharmin Segal has received criticism for her acting in her uncle Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s production, Heeramandi. Her co-star Jayati Bhatia, who played Phatto Bi in the web series, has now come out in support of her, stating she has to move on and focus on her profession. (also read: Sanjay Leela Bhansali shares up on Sharmin Segal’s performance in Heeramandi: She kept insisting, ‘Mama, I’ll underplay’.

In an interview with ABP’s Entertainment Live, Jayati addressed the controversy over her performance. She also advised her to follow the “less is more” principle in the future.

Jayati supports Sharmin.
During the interview, Jayati was asked about her thoughts on the controversy surrounding Sharmin’s performance on the show.

“This is a critical period in her career and life. After this, she will only improve. This is the initial step; she has completed Malaal, but here she has worked under the supervision of Mr Bhansali, therefore this is her first assignment. “Now she has to prove herself,” she stated.


Jayati defended Sharmin by explaining that she adopted a different approach to her character because some performers believe that if they do more, it will be too much. She said that Sharmin may have thought it was better to follow a less-is-more strategy.

Now, Jayati believes Sharmin should look ahead and prove herself in her next assignment.

“She won’t be able to use the same acting style in her future project. She must move forward while maintaining the story’s integrity. She needs to work harder now. She’s our darling, but as the person who trained her for her debut picture, I’m very protective and fond of her. As a teacher, I believe she should put the criticism aside and focus on her skill in the future,” she added.

Sharmin faces the heat.
Sharmin portrays the character of Alamzeb, the daughter of Mallikajaan, who is played by Manisha Koirala.


Since its publication, her performance has been the talk of the town, with some social media users questioning if she received the role due of her personal relationship with Sanjay. “Sharmin Sehgal had too much screen time for her poor acting abilities. She is completely incapable of acting. One social media user remarked, “Her bad diction and lack of expression ruined the entire experience.” In fact, several memes are circulating on social media criticizing Sharmin’s performance.

Several of her co-stars, including the show’s casting director Shruti Mahajan, have spoken forward to support her.

“A lot of people enjoyed her voice and acting. They have stated that she appears fresh and adds new energy to the cast. People claim she doesn’t appear to belong in the realm of Heeramandi or the world of courtesans. But that was the brief. It was all about her disconnection from the world and her inability to feel like a courtesan. That’s what we kept in mind,” Shruti told HT, adding, “What you see is the Heeramandi cast, and I’m really proud of it.”

The Netflix show is set during the Indian freedom revolution and focuses on the conflict between courtesans from the red-light district of Heeramandi in Lahore and British Raj officers. The film also stars Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Fardeen Khan, Taha Shah Badussha, and Shekhar Suman.