The lead actress of the recent Netflix period drama Heeramandi has made changes to her social media settings in response to negative commentary on her performance. Sharmin Segal plays the role of Alamzeb in the lavish series directed by renowned filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
While the ensemble cast including Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sonakshi Sinha and Manisha Koirala have earned praise for their nuanced portrayals, some viewers have criticized Segal's acting abilities on Instagram posts related to her character. Comments described her emotive expressions as limited and questioned how she landed such a prominent role.
As the niece of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who also produced her debut film, accusations of nepotism were leveled at Segal's casting. In light of the ongoing criticism, she has now disabled the option for users to comment under her recent post from the Heeramandi premiere event. Her separate Instagram imagery from the Netflix series also drew similar complaints which may have led to the changes.
Prior to her role in Heeramandi, Segal's only other acting credit was in the rom-com Malaal released in 2019. With highly acclaimed performers in the show, some feel she did not convincingly hold her own against strong opponents. Meanwhile, resurfaced photos from Segal's past with actress Janhvi Kapoor have also invited fresh speculation on social media.
While the lavish period drama has been generally well received for its grand production qualities, Segal's performance continues to receive close scrutiny from disapproving portions of the online audience. Only time will tell if future projects help change negative preconceptions of her acting abilities formed through Heeramandi.
