Heeramandi

and there is a TONNE of work here, the show only fully manages to come into its own, after resetting about 5 times, in the final episode. I won't reveal what leads up to this point, but to see the tawaifs young and old march up to British prison where a firing squad is about to assassinate one of their own, singing songs of a Azaadi gives me goosebumps to even think about right now. We finally get a solid glimpse into the cultural decline of the era, a country on the cusp of change, highlighting even further the missed opportunities for deeper exploration. We are told over and over, Tawaifs are artists and not sex workers, yet not once do we see them take dance lessons, do kisi kism ke shastriya sangeet ka riyaaz, imply how hard they work at their craft. Fareedan aayi toh seedhe mujre par baith gayi, par seekh kar kya aayi aisa joh Mallika ya Bibbojaan ko khatra ho unki kala se, yeh kabhi pata hi nahi chala.