Jayati Bhatia, who played the role of Phatto bi in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s series Heeramandi, recently opened up about the best compliment she received for her performance in an interview with Hindustan Times. She recalled how film veteran Rekha told her that she has become her “fan” at the grand premiere of the show. Sharing her joy and excitement, Jayati Bhatia told Hindustan Times, “During the premiere, Rekha ji was talking to Sanjeeda (Shaikh; co-actor) and I was standing in the corner, completely starstruck since I had never seen her from such a close distance before that. Rekha ji then saw me, stopped her conversation midway and came up to me and said, ‘Lo, hum toh aapke fan ho gaye’. And then she gave me a hug and pecked my cheek.”

Jayati Bhatia added, “She also complimented me for getting an opportunity to work on my character the way I wanted. It was such a beautiful compliment to receive that I’ll forever be grateful for it.” FYI, Phatto bi is one of the confidants of Mallikajaan (played by Manisha Koirala).

While many Heeramandi actors are praised for their performances, Sharmin Segal has been receiving constant critism for her acting. Earlier, in an interview with ABP Live, Jayati Bhatia shared her opinions about Sharmin being trolled. She said, “It is about what approach an actor takes. There are a lot of actors who believe that less is more. They feel if they do more then it’ll become too much. Then there is Phatto (Jayati’s character) who is all over the place. Manisha ji has a grey shade, it is a solid character. Fareedan’s charatcer (played by Sonakshi Sinha) is a firecracker, she is exciting you all the time. Then there is Aditi Rao Hydari (who plays Bibbojaan), you can see her inner strength because when the show starts, she’s already working with the revolutionaries.”

Jayati added, “So there are so many characters, how do you make your presence felt? What approach will you take? So, maybe this was the approach that she (Sharmin) thought she could take, that less is more. In the next work that she does, she cannot rely on (the same acting style). She has to move forward from this, and show people, while remaining true to the story… She has to work harder now. She’s our darling, but as someone who trained her for her first film, I am very protective and fond of her. As a teacher, I can say that she needs to put the criticism aside and focus on her craft going forward.”

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi will be returning with a second season. The first season received a mixed response from the audience. The first season featured Sonakshi Sinha, Manisha Koirala, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanjeeda Shaikh, and Sharmin Segal in key roles.

 Jayati Bhatia said, “I’ll forever be grateful for the compliment”