Manisha Koirala and Sonakshi Sinha’s Heeramandi courtesans shun their glamour and glitter to take to the streets, holding aloft fire torches, to fight for India’s Independence in the music video of Azadi from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming Netflix period drama Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar.

Dropped by the makers on Monday, the two-minute-39-second-long music video shows the courtesans participating in the movement for India’s freedom from British colonial rule. Taha Shah’s Tajdar distributes posters promoting Swadeshi items among people, while Sharmin Segal and Sanjeeda Shaikh join Manisha and Sonakshi in a protest rally with cries of Inquilaab zindabaad.

Led by Manisha’s Mallikajaan clad in a dark green anarkali, Sonakshi’s Fareedan and Sanjeeda’s Waheeda move forward with other women. An emotionally-charged sequence shows Sonakshi, Manisha and Sanjeeda being brutally beaten up by a police officer.

Gruesome scenes of Sharmin Segal’s Alamzeb’s torture by the police are shown in the video. Alamzeb, who is presumably in love with a British man, shoots her lover in the chest as cries for independence echo outside.

Azadi is sung by Archana Gore, Pragati Joshi, Aditi Prabhudesai, Arohi, Aditi Paul, Tarannum Malik Jain and Dipti Rege. The lyrics are penned by AM Turaz.

Marking Bhansali’s OTT debut, Heeramandi will follow the stories of love, passion, freedom and betrayal experienced by courtesans living in Heeramandi. Set against the backdrop of British-ruled India, the trailer of the series revealed how the courtesans found themselves entangled in a constant power struggle with anti-colonial movements on the rise.

Bhansali’s maiden web series also marks Fardeen Khan’s comeback to the world of acting after a hiatus of 14 years. Apart from him, Shekhar and Adhyayan Suman also play key roles in the web series.

Also starring Aditi Rao Hydari and Richa Chadha, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar is slated to premiere on Netflix on May 1.