The film's success paved the way for Bhansali, now 61, to become one of the most popular directors in Hindi cinema who went on make films like Devdas, Bajirao Mastani and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.

The 36-year-old actor, known for his role as Nawab Tajdar Baloch, expressed his profound honour at being chosen for this prestigious role.

Chadha said she was initially worried her role as the lovelorn courtesan, who features in only the first two of the eight-episode series, would get lost. But she has always believed in "quality over quantity" and that didn’t bother her.

Streaming service Netflix shared the first look of actor Fardeen Khan from "Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar" on Saturday, unveiling the upcoming period drama series that marks filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's debut on OTT platforms.

"Music brings me great joy and peace. It's an integral part of my being. I am now launching my own music label 'Bhansali Music'. I wish the audience to experience the same joy and spiritual connection that I feel when I listen to or create music," Bhansali said in a statement.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, known for lavishly mounted feature films such as Ram-Leela, Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat, is set to make his long-format debut with Netflix’s Heermandi.