Poonam Pandey has criticised Swara Bhasker’s recent remarks about the portrayal of the jauhar sequence in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Padmaavat’.
Speaking to IANS, Poonam said she had once been a fan of Swara but was disappointed by her comments about the film. She questioned the criticism, arguing that the filmmakers were presenting a historical narrative rather than creating an entirely fictional story.
Poonam said she had regarded Swara as an educated and intelligent person and therefore found her remarks particularly surprising. She also described the comments as inappropriate and said she strongly disagreed with them.
The controversy stems from comments Swara made during a ‘Woman Life Freedom’ discussion at the India International Centre in Delhi on August 31.
During the event, Swara raised concerns about how the jauhar sequence in ‘Padmaavat’ could be interpreted by survivors of sexual violence. She questioned whether portraying death as a response to rape and loss of honour could unintentionally send a harmful message to women.
Swara argued that such a depiction could make survivors feel that their lives had lost their value following sexual violence. Her remarks subsequently sparked discussion and criticism on social media.
Poonam has now responded to those comments, defending the historical basis of the film while expressing her disagreement with Swara’s interpretation of the scene.