Swara Bhasker clarifies her Padmaavat comments, says ‘I Never Said Rani Padmaavati Was a Coward’
Swara Bhasker has clarified her remarks on the Padmaavat Jauhar scene, saying she never called Rani Padmaavati or the women who performed Jauhar “cowards”.
Bollywood actress Swara Bhasker has clarified her recent remarks about the Jauhar scene in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2018 film Padmaavat. Her comments had sparked a backlash on social media, with some users claiming that the actress had called Rani Padmaavati and the women who performed Jauhar “cowards”.
Swara has now strongly denied making such a statement. In a video shared on Instagram on Tuesday, she explained that her remarks at the “Woman, Life, Freedom” talk at the India International Centre on August 31 were taken out of context and wrongly translated.
What Did Swara Actually Say?Swara said she was discussing the reason behind an open letter she had written to Bhansali after watching Padmaavat. While explaining her concerns about the film’s climax, she said that she was speaking from the perspective of a possible rape survivor.
She clarified, “Maine aisa bilkul nahi kaha ki Rani Padmaavati Kayar thi ya Mahal ki baaki aurtien Kayar thi.” She added that her point was about how a rape survivor might feel if a film suggested that dying to protect one’s honour was more courageous than surviving.
At the August 31 event, Swara had questioned whether such a portrayal could send a harmful message to women who survive sexual violence. She asked whether films should suggest that rape is the end of a woman’s life or that death would be a more honourable choice.
Her Concern About the Jauhar SceneSwara also criticised a particular shot in the climax showing the belly of a pregnant woman while she performs Jauhar. She said the scene made her uncomfortable and questioned the message it could convey about women and unborn children.
She connected her argument to what she described as the widespread prevalence of rape in society. She also referred to the Nirbhaya case, saying that Nirbhaya fought to live until her last breath and that a woman’s will to live should never be underestimated.
Swara Says Her Criticism Was About CinemaSwara has maintained that her comments were a criticism of the message conveyed through the film, not an insult to Rani Padmaavati or the historical women associated with Jauhar.
Padmaavat, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, stars Deepika Padukone as Rani Padmavati, Shahid Kapoor as Maharawal Ratan Singh and Ranveer Singh as Alauddin Khilji. The film’s depiction of history and Jauhar had itself been the subject of controversy around its release. Swara has said that people may disagree with her views, but she wants her actual words and their context to be understood correctly.