Richa Chadha recently recounted her experiences on the set of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming film, ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar,’ concentrating on the grueling demands of filming a difficult dance routine. Richa claimed that she had to go through 99 takes for a dance routine, giving light on the emotional and physical toll it took on her and how Bhansali’s high expectations drove her to the brink.
Richa struggled with Bhansali’s rigorous and demanding directorial approach when she was assigned a challenging dance number that required a combination of dancing moves, emotional depth, and the portrayal of drunkenness in a single continuous take. Bhansali, a traditionally trained Odissi dancer, wanted excellence that included numerous layers of performance, posing a tremendous challenge for Richa, who was trained in Kathak.
Richa had to balance a large bouquet on her head, manage precise footwork, and communicate a wide range of emotions—all while keeping Kathak’s rhythm and perfection. Despite feeling “totally demolished” by the end of the day, Richa was determined to meet Bhansali’s expectations. The scene’s complexities required Richa to not only do the dance movements flawlessly, but also to portray the character’s embarrassment and drunkenness. Bhansali’s vision necessitated capturing this combination of precise dancing and intense emotional expression in a single, extended take, which added to the pressure.
Richa even drank alcohol on stage in a desperate attempt to simulate the necessary drunkenness, despite her fears about the consequences. The process was exhausting, taking eight hours to finish all 99 takes. Despite the difficulties, Richa praised Bhansali for his unwavering pursuit of quality, recognizing that his high standards eventually resulted to her best performance.
‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’ stars Manisha Koirala, Sharmin Segal, Aditi Rao Hydari, Shekhar Suman, and Fardeen Khan.
