Swara Bhasker has once again sparked a debate over Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat, eight years after her controversial open letter to the filmmaker. At a recent event in Delhi, the actor revisited the film’s climactic jauhar sequence featuring Deepika Padukone as Rani Padmavati and explained why the scene had deeply unsettled her. Swara questioned the message such a portrayal could send to rape survivors, asking whether rape should be seen as “the end of a woman’s life.” She also recalled feeling particularly disturbed by the depiction of women choosing death to protect their honour. Her comments have now triggered fresh reactions online, with some netizens saying, “Bas news mein rehna hai.” After her remark went viral and faced criticism, Swara has responded.
Swara Bhasker sparks debate over Padmaavat Jauhar scene remark
Swara Bhasker’s latest comments revisit the controversy surrounding her 2018 open letter to director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. At a recent Delhi event, the actor explained why the film’s climactic jauhar sequence featuring Deepika Padukone’s Rani Padmavati disturbed her.
Swara questioned the message such a portrayal could send to rape survivors, saying, “I would feel like a coward that I didn’t commit suicide to save my honour.” She further asked, “Are we saying that r*pe is the end of a woman’s life?” Swara also recalled being particularly disturbed by a shot of a pregnant woman during the sequence, calling the film’s treatment of jauhar “problematic.”
In her 2018 letter published by The Wire, had similarly criticised what she viewed as the glorification of jauhar and sati, writing that she “felt reduced to a vagina” after watching the film. She had argued that women have the right to live despite rape or the death of their husbands.
Deepika Padukone in Padmaavat
While Swara says she waited five days before writing the letter rather than reacting in anger, her latest remarks have once again triggered debate on social media. Some users have defended her concerns, while others have mocked her decision to revisit the controversy, with one reaction reading, “Bas news mein rehna hai.”
Swara Bhasker reacts to criticism
Swara Bhasker has now responded to the backlash over her comments, sharing a message on her Instagram Stories. Reacting to those who criticised her stance, the actor wrote, “It is WILD that so many people are triggered (women included) by the basic idea that rape survivors have a right to life after rape!”
Swara Bhasker reacts to criticism
Her response comes after her remarks about the Padmaavat jauhar sequence sparked a fresh debate online, with several netizens questioning her views and others defending her argument that rape should never be treated as the end of a woman’s life.
Netizens react to Swara Bhasker’s remark
Swara Bhasker’s remarks drew mixed reactions from netizens, with several users disagreeing with her interpretation of the Padmaavat jauhar sequence. One user defended Rani Padmavati’s decision, writing, “Swara, you’re absolutely wrong here. Rani Padmavati made a choice,” while another argued that choosing death over violation was an act of courage.
Netizens react to Swara Bhasker’s remark
Some simply dismissed her comments, with one netizen reacting, “Kya kya bolte hai ye log,” and “Bas isko controversy create karke news mein rehna hai.” Meanwhile, some users accused Swara of contradicting her own feminist stance, while others resorted to personal and abusive attacks against the actor.