Set in the twilight of British India, Heeramandi wasn't just a story of courtesans—it was a visually rich, emotionally layered look at history through the lens of women.
Now, if you want to stay in that world—where history meets storytelling, where women resist and romance blooms under fire—here are 7 historical fiction books you’ll love just as much.
1. The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan
Much like Heeramandi, this novel centers on an extraordinary woman behind the veil—Mehrunnisa, the future Empress Nur Jahan. Intrigue, ambition, and forbidden love fill the Mughal court as she rises from widowhood to royalty.
2. Courting Hindustan: The Consuming Passions of Iconic Women in Indian History by Madhur Gupta
This one’s non-fiction with a storytelling soul, offering real stories of courtesans, dancers, and female performers who shaped culture and challenged patriarchy. If Heeramandi stirred your curiosity about real-life tawaifs, this book is your next stop.
3. The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
Set in post-independence Jaipur, it follows Lakshmi, a skilled henna artist with secrets of her own. Like Heeramandi, it’s rich with color, complexity, and the weight of tradition vs. self-determination.
4. The Mirror of Beauty by Shamsur Rahman Faruqi
This epic Urdu novel (translated into English) is as poetic and layered as Bhansali’s visuals. It reimagines the 19th-century Mughal era through the eyes of Wazir Khanam—a courtesan, poetess, and mother to a reformer. It’s detailed, slow, but hypnotic.
5. Beguiled by Beauty: The Tawaifs of India by Saba Dewan
Want the real story behind Heeramandi’s world? This book doesn’t romanticize—it reveals the cultural and social roles tawaifs played, especially in music, dance, and resistance. It's eye-opening and grounded in truth.
6. The Perfume Garden by Kate Lord Brown
While this novel spans two timelines (modern-day and 1930s Spain), its emotional DNA mirrors Heeramandi: war, betrayal, passion, and a woman trying to survive it all. It’s more international but still lush and emotionally gripping.
7. Remnants of a Separation by Aanchal Malhotra
This isn't fiction, but it feels like it. Using everyday heirlooms—jewelry, letters, utensils—this book tells stories of the Partition through intimate, family-level narratives. Think of it as Heeramandi’s emotional afterlife.
If Heeramandi showed us anything, it’s that history is never just about kings and wars—it’s also about the women in silk sarees, with sharp minds, bold hearts, and hidden wounds. These books dive deeper into that world, letting you linger longer in stories too rich for textbooks.
