Western audiences are finally getting introduced to Bollywood star Sharmin Segal thanks to Netflix's Heeramandi.
The streaming Hindi-language drama stars Segal as Alamzeb (aka Alam), the youngest daughter of Manisha Koirala's Mallikajaan, who - like her sisters - is training to be a tawaif to India's ruling class.
Segal comes into Heeramandi, having worked in Indian film and TV since 2013.
[ Full Cast of Heeramandi on Netflix - Every Main Character & Actor Who Appears (Photos) ]
6 Things To Know About Sharmin Segal from Heeramandi
Sharmin Segal Went To an American College
While being known for her work in Bollywood, Sharmin Segal came stateside for her education.
Hailing from Maharashtra, India, Segal crossed the Pacific to attend the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York.
She joined Hollywood icons like Sally Field, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern, and Chris Evans as alumni of the prestigious acting school, completing her course there in 2019.
Sharmin Segal Comes From a Filmmaking Family
Sharmin Segal is just the latest in a long line of Bollywood creatives, being born to film editor Bela Segal and studio executive Deepak Segal.
And the lineage in Hindi cinema does not stop there. She is also the granddaughter of the renowned Hindi director Mohan Segal as well as the late film producers Navin Bhansali and Leela Bhansali.
She has even had the chance to collaborate with some of her family members also working in the industry.
The Netflix film Heeramandi was directed by her uncle Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
On working with her uncle she told Times Now, "I just hope I have done him proud:"
"Today, being directed by him, I realize the genius that he is. He has brought things out of me and my performance on screen that I could not have imagined I could do. It is a privilege to be seen and directed with the perspective and eyes of a legend like Sanjay Sir. At the end of the day, he is my uncle; I can't change that. I also can't change the fact that I wanted to be directed by someone as great as him. I would never want to be treated in any special way. I respect the creator too much. I just hope I have done him."
Sharmin Segal Was Bullied As a Kid
Sharmin Segal has talked publicly about being bullied growing up.
The 25-year-old previously explained to India Today how she was body-shamed for being, as she described, "really fat for 13-14 years," adding that it continued through grade school:
"I was really fat for 13-14 years of my life. There were kids in school who used to make fun of me from the ages of 11-18 until I graduated from school."
This included being forced to play a "caricature fat friend-type [man]" in a school performance that sticks in her mind:
"I took theatre in school at the age of 17, Meezaan was in my class. I had an end-of-year performance, where they made me a man. You know how they have those caricature fat friend-type characters? Meezaan was the doctor and I was his assistant."
The five-foot-five actress revealed she "wasn't confident," and believes people should feel comfortable in their bodies no matter the size:
"People say body-shaming and all that is wrong, and you should be confident of your body, but I wasn't. After being bullied for 15 years of my life, I wasn't confident. People have asked me, 'Is it wrong to be fat and an actor?' I said, 'No. If you are happy and confident, and you can look into a mirror in the morning and say haan main achchi lag rahi hoon, then that's your personal choice.'"
Sharmin Segal’s Husband Is Not Famous
Despite coming from a family with deep roots in Hindi TV and film, Sharmin Segal looked outside that bubble when it came to her longtime romantic partner.
Segal married Indian businessman Aman Mehta in November 2023, with pictures making their way online thanks to the actress' significant social media presence.
Not much is known about Segal's husband other than he spends his days working in the Indian finance industry, living a life largely outside the public eye.
On balancing her new marriage with her burgeoning acting career she has said, "[she is] just going to take each day as it comes," and knows her "husband is proud of [her]" (via Times Now):
"This is probably the biggest project I have done; I could have only dreamed of it! I am just going to take each day as it comes after this, and I know my husband is proud of me and will always support me."
Sharmin Segal Earned Awards Recognition for Her First Movie
Fans may have just been introduced to Sharmin Segal in this year's Heeramandi, but she has been acting for more than half a decade.
Her Hindi film debut came in 2019's Malaal, where she earned awards consideration for her performance.
Starring in the film as Astha Tripathi, a young girl who falls for a man living in her Mumbai chawl, Segal garnered a nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.
While she lost to Ananya Panday (who had appeared in Student of the Year 2 and Pati Patni Aur Woh that year), it was enough to put the young star on the map and get her working even further in the Indian film industry.
Sharmin Segal Has an Interest in Directing
Before starring in hits like Heeramandi, Sharmin Segal took a stab at directing.
Coming from the long line of hard-working individuals living behind the scenes in Hindi film and TV, Segal dipped her toes into the family business working as an assistant director on the movies in Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, Mary Kom, and Bajirao Mastani.
All three of these projects were directed by Segal's uncle Sanjay Leela Bhansali, as he helped the up-and-coming star get her feet wet in the directing role.
Hot To Follow Sharmin Segal Online
Fans looking to keep up with Sharmin Segal online can do so on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.
Heeramandi is streaming now on Netflix.
