New Delhi: Actress Swara Bhasker’s renewed comments on the Jauhar sequence in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat have triggered a fresh political and social media debate. BJP MLA and folk singer Maithili Thakur strongly criticised Bhasker’s remarks and questioned her understanding of the historical subject.
Thakur argued that comments on sensitive historical events should be made only after properly studying and understanding the subject.
Maithili Thakur Criticises Swara Bhasker
Reacting to Bhasker’s remarks, Maithili Thakur said that making statements without a proper understanding of the subject was inappropriate.
“That was a very vulgar thing to say. The confidence with which they said such completely nonsensical things was just awful. And I feel that if they don’t have an understanding of all this, they shouldn’t speak about it at all. They should either study the subject properly first and then speak,” Thakur said.
Her comments have added another layer to the ongoing debate surrounding the portrayal of Jauhar and historical characters in Padmaavat.
Swara Bhasker Clarifies Her Remarks
Swara Bhasker later addressed the controversy in a video posted on social media. She said a clip from an event had gone viral and claimed that her comments were being incorrectly translated and presented.
“Hi doston, ek aur din, ek aur Twitter controversy,” Bhasker said while beginning her clarification.
She explained that she had been asked about an open letter she had previously written to Sanjay Leela Bhansali regarding Padmaavat. According to Bhasker, while explaining her position, she made comments that were now being “sarasar galat tareeke se anuvadit” and circulated as a false claim.
Bhasker Says She Did Not Call Padmavati or Other Women Cowards
Bhasker specifically rejected the claim that she had described Rani Padmavati and the other women who performed Jauhar as cowards.
She said the claim being circulated was a distortion of what she had actually intended to say.
According to Bhasker, her criticism was focused on how the depiction of the Jauhar sequence could be perceived by survivors of sexual violence, rather than an attempt to label Rani Padmavati or the women associated with the story as cowardly.
Debate Over ‘Padmaavat’ Continues
The controversy has once again brought attention to the debate surrounding Padmaavat, particularly its depiction of Jauhar and the way historical and cultural themes are presented in popular cinema.
While Bhasker has sought to clarify the context of her remarks, Thakur has maintained that sensitive historical subjects require a proper understanding before public commentary.
The latest exchange has sparked discussions on social media over historical representation, artistic interpretation and the portrayal of women and Jauhar in Indian cinema.