Abuse me, but for right thing: Swara Bhasker says she never called Rani Padmaavati a coward
· Entertainment · Indian Express, Hindustan Times, hindustantimes
Actor Swara Bhasker issued an Instagram video on Tuesday clarifying that she never called Rani Padmaavati or the women who committed jauhar "cowards". The clarification came after a clip from her appearance at the Woman, Life, Freedom talk in New Delhi went viral and was widely circulated as a statement against the historical figures. Bhasker said her original comments were about the message the climax of Bhansali's Padmaavat could send to survivors of sexual violence in a society grappling with rape culture. She explained that her concern was how a rape survivor might internalise feelings of being a coward for surviving, not a criticism of Padmaavati herself. Bhasker also referenced a recent alleged gang-rape case in Delhi to underline the continuing prevalence of sexual violence in the country.
Why it matters
The controversy touches on a sensitive intersection of historical reverence, Bollywood representation, and the lived reality of sexual violence survivors in India, where public discourse around jauhar and honour remains deeply polarised.
Read the original report — Indian Express
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