Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's highly-anticipated show, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, is finally streaming on Netflix. The series is set in pre-Independence India and is based on the lives of courtesans in Lahore's oldest red light district.
Heeramandi was initially known as the Shahi Mohalla and has a rich cultural history dating back to the Mughal era. It was home to tawaifs (professional entertainers) who were associated with the royal court.
During the Mughal era, tawaifs were not sex workers, instead a statement of sophistication and class for the elite. Royals too, would send their children to learn etiquette and worldly ways from these women.
Here are some facts we bet you didn't know about the once-infamous area.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)