Swara Bhasker has broken her silence on the renewed controversy surrounding her comments about the jauhar scene in Padmaavat.
The actress revisited the issue in an interview with The Indian Express, saying that the controversy surrounding her remarks had been revived years after she originally raised similar concerns about the film. Swara maintained that her comments had been misinterpreted and that she had never called Rani Padmaavati or the women who performed jauhar “cowards.”
The controversy began again after a video clip from an event in Delhi went viral on social media.
Swara Says Her Remarks Were Misinterpreted
Swara explained that her comments were about how the film's depiction of jauhar could be perceived by rape survivors.
She said that when she watched the sequence in Padmaavat, her concern was about the message that such a portrayal could communicate about honour, sexual violence and women who survive rape. According to Swara, she was speaking hypothetically about how she would feel in that situation, rather than passing a judgment on the women depicted in the film.
She has maintained that the distinction between her own reaction and a description of the historical women involved was lost when clips of her remarks circulated online.
What Did Swara Bhasker Say About The Jauhar Scene?
The renewed controversy originated from comments Swara made at the Woman, Life, Freedom event in Delhi.
While discussing the open letter she had written to filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali after watching Padmaavat, Swara recalled being disturbed by the film's depiction of hundreds of women performing jauhar.
Her concern, as reported by The Indian Express, was focused on what the scene might communicate to rape survivors about honour and survival. She also discussed a shot involving a pregnant woman and questioned the message she felt the sequence could convey.
Swara's comments subsequently received strong criticism on social media, with some users arguing that her interpretation ignored the historical context associated with jauhar.
Swara Had Written An Open Letter To Bhansali In 2018
The controversy is not new.
After Padmaavat released in 2018, Swara had written an open letter to Sanjay Leela Bhansali, questioning the film's treatment of women, honour and sexual violence.
Years later, she was asked about that letter during the Delhi event, which led her to revisit the same concerns publicly. Swara said she had already faced criticism and abuse for her position when the film was released and questioned why the same controversy had resurfaced again.
Actress Says The Controversy Was ‘Constructed’
In her latest interview, Swara described the renewed controversy as “constructed”.
She argued that the original remarks were several years old and that she was simply answering a question about something she had already discussed publicly. She also alleged that her words were being deliberately misquoted or taken out of context to generate online outrage.
Swara further claimed that some online trolling involving her is amplified for broader agendas. These are her allegations; she did not provide evidence in the interview establishing who specifically organised the renewed backlash.
Padmaavat Writer Defended The Jauhar Scene
The controversy has also led to responses from people associated with Padmaavat.
The film's co-writer Prakash Kapadia defended the jauhar sequence after Swara's renewed criticism. He argued that the practice depicted in the film represented the historical reality of the period being portrayed.
His response reflects a different interpretation of the scene from Swara's criticism. While Swara has focused on the message that the cinematic depiction could communicate to contemporary audiences, Kapadia has defended it in the context of the historical world represented by the film.
Ranvir Shorey Also Criticised Swara’s Remarks
Actor Ranvir Shorey was among those who publicly criticised Swara after the remarks resurfaced.
Shorey questioned her interpretation of the jauhar sequence and criticised the connection she drew between the scene and rape survivors. His comments added another layer to the social media debate surrounding Swara's statements.
The responses demonstrate that the renewed discussion has involved differing views on both the historical practice and its representation in cinema.
What Is Padmaavat About?
Released in 2018, Padmaavat was directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and starred Deepika Padukone as Rani Padmaavati, Shahid Kapoor as Maharawal Ratan Singh and Ranveer Singh as Alauddin Khilji.
The film drew significant controversy even before its release, particularly over concerns about its depiction of Rajput history and characters. The makers maintained that the film was a work of fiction inspired by the epic poem Padmavat by Malik Muhammad Jayasi.
The film eventually released after several changes and became one of the major Hindi releases of 2018.
Swara’s Position Remains Unchanged
Despite the renewed backlash, Swara has maintained that she stands by the underlying concern she raised about the scene.
Her argument is centred on the way cinema communicates ideas about sexual violence, honour and survival to contemporary viewers. At the same time, critics of her remarks have focused on the historical context of jauhar and the film's intention to portray that period.
The disagreement therefore involves both historical interpretation and cinematic representation, with different people attaching different meanings to the same sequence.
Swara Bhasker’s Padmaavat Debate Continues
The latest controversy shows how discussions surrounding Padmaavat continue to resurface years after its theatrical release.
Swara Bhasker has now offered a detailed explanation of her position and denied that she called Rani Padmaavati or the women who performed jauhar “cowards.” She has instead argued that her comments were about the message she believed the scene could send to survivors of sexual violence.
With the actress standing by her interpretation and critics defending a different reading of the scene and its historical context, the Padmaavat jauhar controversy remains a subject of debate in Bollywood and on social media.
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