Swara Bhasker's 'Padmaavat' remark sparks controversy again: What happened
What's the story
Bollywood actor Swara Bhasker has ignited a controversy with her recent comments on the Jauhar scene in Deepika Padukone's 2018 film Padmaavat. During her speech at the Woman Life Freedom talk at the India International Centre in Delhi on Monday, she criticized the sequence for potentially sending a harmful message to rape survivors. "Are we saying that rape is end of a woman's life? This scene was so problematic," she said. Her remarks have since sparked heated debates online.
Controversial remarks
What did Bhasker say about 'Padmaavat'
Bhasker expressed her concerns about the Jauhar scene in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat, saying, "I was watching it, and I thought that if God forbid, I was a rape survivor, what is this film telling me?"
"I would feel like a coward that I didn't commit suicide to save my honor. Is that what you want to tell in a society like ours where I feel like anyway there is a rape epidemic."
Further criticism
'You're telling me that fetus doesn't deserve to be born...'
Bhasker further criticized the portrayal of pregnant women in the film.
She said, "Then there was this one shot that made me so mad. I was like, 'Chhee!' There is a close-up of a pregnant woman's belly performing jauhar."
"So you are telling me that fetus, which might be a female, doesn't deserve to be born because she might be raped by a Muslim ruler?"
Bhasker had voiced her thoughts in an open letter to Bhansali, too.
Online backlash
Social media users reacted to Bhasker's comments
Bhasker's comments have drawn strong reactions on social media, with many users criticizing her interpretation of the Jauhar scene.
One user wrote, "According to Bhasker, Hindu women who committed jauhar or suicide were 'COWARDS' because they chose to die over the prospect of leading their lives as concubines of Muslim invaders."
Another comment called Jauhar an act of bravery and said it was "an act of utmost bravery in the face of unimaginable brutality."
Twitter Post
Some stood by Bhasker's comments
Don’t know why @ReallySwara is getting so much hate here, not just from the usual RW trolls but also from many liberals. People need to understand what she is actually saying. She isn’t calling the women who committed Jauhar cowards. We can talk about them with empathy and still… https://t.co/xq3VMz8NbN
— pranav pradhi (@pranavpradhi1) September 1, 2026
Film background
Explaining the 'Padmaavat' scene
In Padmaavat, the Jauhar scene occurs after Alauddin Khilji's forces defeat the Rajputs and breach Chittor Fort.
Deepika Padukone's Rani Padmavati leads the women into Jauhar as a collective act of self-immolation to avoid capture.
The film was directed by Bhansali and also stars Shahid Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Aditi Rao Hydari, Jim Sarbh, Raza Murad, and Anupriya Goenka.