“Audiences have binge-watched Heeramandi and even watched it twice or thrice over at a stretch” — Sanjay Leela Bhansali couldn’t contain the excitement in his voice when talking about the response received by his maiden OTT series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar.

Calling the reaction to Heeramandi overwhelming and heartwarming during a recent interview, the 61-year-old filmmaker thanked the audience for watching the period drama series over and over again. “What stood out for me was that audiences have binge-watched Heeramandi and even watched it twice or thrice over at a stretch,” he said.

Bhansali also said it was reassuring for him to see how people connected with the story, the lives of the courtesans,and the characters' emotional journeys regardless of their cultural background.

He also talked about Heeramandi’s social media impact as the series has gone on to become a rage on social media, inspiring content creators to come up with new materials. “It was nice to see the kind of response we have received on social media and the kind of content people are creating around the show from different parts of the world,” he reflected.

The filmmaker, who is also known for the music of his movies, also expressed happiness over the music of the series. “The music of the series has struck a chord with audiences, which is very rare for an OTT show.”

Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar is an eight-part series available on Netflix in 190 countries. The show, which premiered on May 1, features Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Segal Mehta, Farida Jalal, Fardeen Khan, Shekhar Suman and Adhyayan Suman in key roles.