Swara Bhasker has responded to the criticism she received after describing the Jauhar sequence in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat as “problematic.” The actress questioned the message conveyed by the scene, particularly its portrayal of women choosing death rather than facing sexual violence.Taking to Instagram Stories, Swara hit back at those who were offended by her remarks. Sharing a post on the issue, she 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! (sic)”Swara’s latest comments have once again brought attention to her long-standing criticism of the film. Nearly eight years after penning an open letter to director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the actress recently revisited her concerns about the Jauhar sequence during an event in Delhi.Recalling her reaction to the scene, which depicts around 800 women committing Jauhar, Swara said, “I’m watching this and all of these 800 women committing Jauhar… God forbid if I was a rape survivor, what is this film telling me? I would feel like a coward. That I didn’t kill myself to save my ‘honour’.”She also spoke about a particular moment in the sequence involving a pregnant woman, saying the visual left her “so mad” and prompted her to react with “chi.” Questioning what the scene suggested about women and unborn children, she asked, “So, you are saying that a fetus that might be a female does not deserve to be born because she might be raped by a Muslim ruler?”The actress revealed that she did not immediately write her open letter after watching the film. Instead, she waited five days to determine whether her concerns remained unchanged. According to Swara, the fundamental argument behind her letter was that “Women are more than their private parts.”Her remarks have since triggered a strong reaction on the internet with several social media users accusing the actress of disrespecting the historical practice of Jauhar and the women associated with it.One user criticised Swara’s comments, writing, “She has shown complete disrespect toward all Hindu women with this statement. Specifically, she is defaming the dignity and honor of Rajput women.”The renewed debate has once again brought the film’s portrayal of Jauhar, honour and women’s agency into focus, with Swara maintaining that survivors of sexual violence should not be made to feel that death is the only way to preserve their dignity.
