Sharmin Segal Says She Never Calls Bhansali 'Mama' In Public 'I Don't Look At Him As Uncle On Set'

Sharmin Segal, who is Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s niece, has assisted him on several projects. Recently, she even played a pivotal character in his show Heeramandi. As such, she was asked if she received any special treatment from him due to their family connection. However, Sharmin denied this and said that instead, Sanjay can be extra hard on her sometimes.

When asked if she gets any special leeway, Sharmin told The Indian Express, “Ulta, I don’t get any leeways. He loves me a lot, I’m not going to deny that. There are days when he’ll look at me like ‘Sharmin, his niece’ when I’m just sitting. When I look at him on a set, I don’t look at him as my uncle. I look at him as Sanjay Leela Bhansali and that’s the respect he has earned throughout his life. I can’t take that away just because I’m related to him. I also can’t change the fact that I’m related to him.”

Sharmin said that when she turned 18, she rewatched Devdas and realised that “Sanjay Leela Bhansali is my mama”. She said, “I understood who the man was and my respect for him skyrocketed when I had the maturity to understand his work… Then I worked with him as an assistant and realised how much hard work he puts in. Then I worked with him as an actor and realised the genius that he is… We call him Sanjay sir, me and my sister both. Never in public do we ever call him mama.”

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s web series Heeramandi was released on Netflix earlier this month. It soon became a talking point among audiences for its historical inaccuracies and casting choices. Sanjay Leela Bhansali and his niece, Sharmin Segal, who essays the role of Alamzeb in the series, especially bore the brunt of heavy critique by the viewers.

Sharmin Segal is the daughter of Bella Bhansali Segal (Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s sister) and Deepak Segal. She plays the role of Alamzeb in the show, which boasts an ensemble cast of acclaimed actors like Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Shekhar Suman, Aditi Rao Hydari, Fardeen Khan and Adhyayan Suman among others. While Manisha, Sonakshi and Aditi have been getting much love and appreciation for their solid performances, Sharmin has been receiving a huge backlash for “holding the same expression” throughout the show.