SLB gave me the space as an actor to come into my own: Abha Ranta on Heeramandi

Actor Abha Ranta, who played Mallika Jaan in the recently released Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, shared how the series' director Sanjay Leela Bhansali made her feel comfortable despite her goof-ups.

While talking to the Filmibeat, Ranta said that she was a sensitive person and would cry just if someone raises voice. She further said she was nervous on her first day at the sets and failed to get a perfect take even after six attempts.

She added that she rushed to the vanity van wondering what had gone wrong when there was a sense of irritation around her when the scene was not happening. Ranta revealed that Bhansali gave her voice modulation tips giving her the space as an actor to come into her own. "I felt this tone was the perfect and I only wanted to talk to him in this tone," she further added saying, "creatively, I understood what he wanted and I was able to deliver it."

Heeramandi is a series set pre-independent India against the backdrop of the freedom movement and tells the story of courtesans, nawabs and the British and the tussle for power amongst them.

It stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Sehgal and Sanjeeda Sheikh. It will also mark the comeback of Fardeen Khan, Shekhar Suman and his son Adhyayan Suman.

The series premiered on Netflix on May 1.