'Heeramandi': Sharmin Segal shuts down nepotism claims; says she gave 16 auditions, prepared for a year

Despite polarising reviews of her performance, Sharmin Segal has garnered unprecedented fame with her role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar'. The actor, who also happens to be Bhansali's niece, reignited the discourse around nepotism, with netizens labelling her acting as 'below par'. However, during a recent episode of The Kapil Sharma Show, Sharmin confessed that she underwent an audition for the part of Alamzeb, despite her association with the filmmaker.

Sharmin's shocking confession

Sharmin Segal, who played a key role in 'Heermandi', has faced intense backlash for her performance, which many believe was the weakest link of Bhansali's extravagant period drama. Following the intense scrutiny online that quickly escalated to her social media profile, Segal also disabled comments on her Instagram account. Amid the staunch criticism, Sharmin has now revealed that she underwent a rigorous procedure before finally landing the role of Alamzeb.

The actor recently appeared on The Kapil Sharma Show along with Heermandi co-stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Richa Chadha. She took everyone in the audience by surprise when she revealed that she struggled to land a role in the drama, despite being related to Bhansali as his niece. When Kapil asked her if she truly auditioned for the role or just leveraged her uncle-niece relationship to be a part of the show, Sharmin chronicled a year-long journey that included sixteen auditions. She disclosed on the show, “Ek saal ke liye prepare kiya aur 16 baar auditions diye” (I prepared for a year and gave 16 auditions for the role).”

Sharmin on online trolling

The actor also addressed the criticism and online trolling of her performance while appearing on a BBC Asian Network podcast. She said, “There is a lot of pressure and sometimes it manifests in weird ways,” before adding, "But I have a really good support system. I think my strongest support system is my sister. She also happened to be an assistant director on the show. So, it worked out in a way where I do have my outlets where I can vent.”

'Heeramandi: The Dimaond Bazaar' debuted on Netflix on May 1. Despite lukewarm reviews, the period saga has managed to draw a significant audience.

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