It took Sanjay Leela Bhansali 14 years to come up with a proper production blueprint for his maiden web series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, the filmmaker said in a new behind-the-scenes video dropped by Netflix on Monday.

“This is the first show — the first series — that I am making. It’s difficult to make a series. It involved 14 years of planning,” the 61-year-old filmmaker said in the video that shows how the interaction between actors and crew on Heeramandi’s set brought Bhansali’s vision to life.

Also featuring shooting clips involving Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Sharmin Segal, Richa Chadha and Fardeen Khan, the video begins with Bhansali opening up about the creative process involved in the making of Heeramandi.

“The story resonates with you. It narrates the plight of the courtesans and goes on to show they were queens once! It also shows their angst, personal celebration and sadness. All these have to be felt in the architecture that you make. The set has to come alive, and when the actor walks in, it should become alive,” Bhansali said, emphasising how the architecture and the costumes reflect the array of emotions the characters are experiencing.

Acknowledging that the making of Heeramandi was a fascinating process, Bhansali said it required him to be in a constant state of creativity.

“I know what I want my characters to sing. I know how I will shoot it. It is all a part of making music,” Bhansali also said in the video, comparing his period drama series with an operatic vision, before signing off by lauding the entire team's efforts for making his dream project come true.

Released on Netflix on May 1, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar delves into tales of love and betrayal experienced by the courtesans of Lahore’s oldest red-light district during British colonial rule. The period drama web series is currently available to stream on the platform.