Farida Jalal Takes a Stand for Co-Star Sharmin Segal Over Trolls for Heeramandi: ‘She Has Done Her Best’

Farida Jalal, who plays the role of Qudsia Begum in the period drama, reacted to the trolling and said netizens should cut Sharmin some slack and be kinder to her

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s masterpiece Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar won the hearts of audiences after its release on Netflix. While all the actors in the series received appreciation for their work, it was Sharmin Segal who faced backlash from the audience due to her monotonous expressions. Segal received criticism from fans and was massively trolled. However, amid the criticism, some of Sharmin’s colleagues have also taken on the responsibility of defending her. This time it was Farida Jalal who defended Segal.

Farida Jalal, who plays the role of Qudsia Begum in the period drama, reacted to the trolling and said netizens should cut Sharmin some slack and be kinder to her. She said that Sharmin “has done her best.” During a conversation with India Today, the veteran actor said, “I know, I am not happy about this. Be kind. With her capacity as an actor, she has done her best. I don’t feel the character needs to be very boisterous and loud; the role was not like that.”

Farida pointed out that people are being mean to Sharmin. She further added, “What were you expecting? Yes, what you thought you needed… It’s okay, why should we be mean to the girl? Be kind, maybe that’s her capacity, just that much. I don’t think the real role was boisterous; it wasn’t. She is a shayara, she falls in love with my bacchha (Taha Shah’s character), and that’s it.”

Previously, several of Sharmin Segal’s co-stars, including Aditi Rao Hydari and Taha Shah, came to her defense. In contrast, co-stars like Adhyayan Suman and Jason Shah seemed to align with the criticism. Sharmin recently addressed the trolling herself, explaining that she was attempting to capture the ‘nothingness’ of Meena Kumari’s performance in Pakeezah.

About Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s series is based on the lives of the courtesans living in Lahore’s Heeramandi. The place used to be a hub of culture, art, and knowledge. However, after the British rule, the location mainly developed into a red-light area. The series features a bunch of stars including Manisha Koirala, Shekhar Suman, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sonakshi Sinha, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Taha Shah Badusha, Adhyayan Suman, and others