Fareedan is one of the primary antagonists in Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. Sonakshi Sinha plays the character in the show.
Fareedan is the daughter of the former madam of Shahi Mahal, Rehana, and the niece of its current madam/owner, Mallikajaan.
As a child, she bore witness to Mallika staging her mother Rehana’s suicide after having killed her. She was present with Mallika’s younger sister Waheeda at that time.
Sale and survival
At the age of 9, Mallika sold Fareedan to two different men, and off Fareedan went, far away from Lahore—her years since were filled with a survival streak marked by her viciousness.
Dreaming of revenge for her mother’s murder, she ran from one district to another, and duped many a Nawabs, to get what she wanted. She eventually finds her way back to Lahore.
She reaches Shahi Mahal during the time of their grieving, as they lose one of their veteran courtesans, Lajjo.
Fareedan returns
She wastes no time to warn Mallika how she’s returned to take back everything that belonged to her mother, and hence, now belongs to her.
The first win she secures when she outplays Mallika and gets her hands on Khwabgah, the house adjacent to Shahi Mahal that Waheeda had been demanding the keys for, for years, but Mallika could never give her that.
Then she tastes defeat when her debut registers no visits as all Nawabs flock to Shahi Mahal for Bibbojaan, who is ordered by her mother to retire and perform her last mujra. Mallika wins this round.
Forging perilous alliance
Fareedan promptly joins hands with Alastair Cartwright, an enemy of Mallika, to take her down. She gets close to him and persuades him to open the case of her mother’s murder.
She needs the file on that case that the officer in charge at that time had given to Zulfikar in exchange for bribes, which then the Nawab had handed to Mallika.
She gave it to Waheeda, who has always kept it buried underground in the premises. Waheeda eventually switches sides and offers Fareedan that file. The revenge on Mallika seems near and possible until it doesn’t.
Truce & rivalry’s conclusion
Mallika finds out about Fareedan’s countless cases in all the districts and states she has fled from. When Fareedan threatens Mallika with the case file, the madam threatens her niece back with her criminal record.
Fareedan later on asks Cartwright to keep tormenting Mallika but she doesn’t know that he’d be an absolutely reprehensible beast about it.
When she learns he has raped Mallika along with his men, she is overcome with guilt for she could never wish something like that on even her mortal enemy. Later, when her actions lead to Alam’s lover, Tajdar’s death, she feels more guilt.
As Heeramandi is enveloped in the flames of rebellion against the British, Fareedan calls a truce, as does Mallika and the two put their battle aside to come together and fight for freedom.
Also Read: Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar summary and ending explained