Swara Bhasker has faced criticism online after questioning the message conveyed by the film’s climactic Jauhar sequence, particularly from the perspective of a rape survivor. Speaking to the media, Maithili strongly disagreed with Swara’s assessment of the sequence.
“This was a really ugly remark. She made a useless remark with full confidence. I think she should not speak on it, if she has no knowledge of it. She should first study it and then speak on it,” Maithili was quoted as saying by ANI.
Swara made the remarks at an event in New Delhi earlier this week. She reportedly argued that Padmaavat glorified Jauhar, the historical practice of mass self-immolation by Rajput women to avoid capture by invading forces.
Explaining her objection to the sequence, Swara questioned what its depiction could communicate to women who have survived sexual violence.
“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 honour. Is that what you want to tell in a society like ours where I feel like anyway there is a rape epidemic,” she said.
Swara continued, “Is this what we want to tell our survivors that they don’t deserve to live, that if you actually would have be a honourable and brave women, you would have killed yourself. Are we saying that rape is end of a woman’s life? This scene was so problematic.”
The actor also singled out a shot featuring the belly of a pregnant woman participating in the Jauhar sequence, saying that the visual had particularly disturbed her.
Maithili is not the first public figure to challenge Swara’s comments. Actor Ranvir Shorey had earlier criticised her comparison in a post on X.
“I still don’t get it! Comparing Jauhar (suicide by fire in defiance of inevitable and endless rape, violence and even necrophilia!) to rape survivors? Where’s the connection? They’re two completely different sets!” Ranvir wrote.
The remarks by Maithili and Ranvir have added to the online debate over Swara’s criticism of the Padmaavat Jauhar sequence and its portrayal of honour, survival and sexual violence.
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