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Take a shot every time someone says the word ‘khauf’ in the new Netflix series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. Or take one whenever somebody barges into a room unannounced, or perhaps every time Sanjeeda Sheikh switches allegiances. Chances are, you wouldn’t last 15 minutes, which is a good thing, because it would spare you the horror of watching the humourless and ultimately hollow eight-episode show, orchestrated by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Set in the world of courtesans and nawabs in pre-Independence India, Heeramandi offers plenty of palace intrigue, historical drama, and unchecked opulence, all filtered through Bhansali’s signature brand of elevated B-grade storytelling.