Actor Shekhar Suman, who played the character of Zulfikar in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film ‘Hiramandi’, said that we cannot keep sex workers and courtesans in the same category. The web series ‘Hiramandi’ released on the OTT platform Netflix shows the contribution of courtesans in the freedom struggle. Shekhar Suman told during an interview that the society has always looked at courtesans from a wrong perspective and has given them the label of sex workers.
What is the difference between a courtesan and a sex worker?
Shekhar Suman said in a conversation with Radio City, “It is the society that has made them like this. It has been said many times in the series that no woman becomes a courtesan on her own will. Circumstances can force a woman into prostitution. Despite all these things, their contribution to society is very important. The society survives because of the way the men come from.
People used to send children to Hiramandi
Shekhar Suman had earlier said in one of his interviews that after completing school, people were sent to ‘Hiramandi’ so that they could learn manners and etiquette. They can learn love, poetry, music and dance. Children were sent there, the Nawab used to learn a lot from them. Hiramandi has made a huge contribution. This was a very big institute. But we have always looked at courtesans from a different perspective. There was nothing wrong in being a courtesan. His contribution to independence has also been shown in Hiramandi, which was important.
This series became a hit in foreign countries also
No one praised him. Let us tell you that this web series based on ‘Hiramandi’, a red light area located in Lahore, came into the headlines as soon as it was announced. Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha and Sanjeeda Sheikh have played important roles in this series directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The series is garnering a lot of praise not only in India but also abroad.
