Richa Chadha‘s performance as the anguished Lajjo burns the brightest in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. Her arc is inarguably the shortest, yet leaves the impact of a sudden storm that wreaks havoc within the harmonious framework of the narrative. Lajjo is alcoholic, hopelessly romantic, and wildly unpredictable. Her tragedy lashes down on the syntax of the show quite early, and even though the story picks up soon after, her spirit leaves a gaping wound that refuses to heal.
Bhansali also provides Lajjo with two beautiful musical creations- Sakal Ban and Masum Dil Hai Mera. Perhaps Lajjo is akin to the brief incandesce of a song, one whose presence lifts the mundane towards a frantic high. Sakal Ban is where Lajjo is first introduced- we see her arrive with a twinkle in her step, instantly at ease with the other dancers. It is when Mallikajaan (Manisha Koirala) has announced the ‘nath utrai’ ceremony of her daughter, and the entire Shahi Mahal is awash in yellow, the spirit of spring. The viewer will see Lajjo with all the other women of the community for the first time. The second time that happens- the same space takes on a devastating contrast.
Lajjo is in love with Zorawar (Adhyayan Suman), the resident Nawab of Lahore. Laughing at the thought that Mallikajaan’s daughter Alamzeb (Sharmin Segal) wants to be a poetess, she says how these dreams are the reason for the downfall of women. Yet, who will tell Lajjo that her dream of marrying Zorawar- will be her biggest mistake? She refuses to acknowledge the truth and hopes on, daydreaming of freedom from her life as a courtesan. With an unsteady gait, she stumbles on her way to meet her lover. When she falls just outside her room, she brushes it off with a smile. The smile is so used to enveloping the pain that it has now become a static reaction.
When Zorawar informs her that he is getting married to another woman, Lajjo is again left with nothing but her shattered dreams. She hangs on to the thought that she will be married too and will go on a honeymoon out of the country. Her mention of Paris is quite telling; she’s a woman who knows the world that exists outside the walls of the Shahi Mahal. Yet, the more she tries to step into that dream, the more she is shown the door. When she is finally granted independence to step outside, it is of the ultimate form.
Richa has always been a compelling presence on screen, carving out fierce and unapologetic female characters in the course of her decade-long career. In Heeramandi, the actor is cast against type, and it is a thrill to witness her infuse Lajjo with such intensity and grace. It is her finest hour on screen. Bhansali gives Lajjo the doomed arc of a Nargis in Pakeezah and the imprint of Meena Kumari’s spirited elegance. That influence fuses into the stunning kathak performance for Lajjo in what is the standout sequence of the series. Source: HT