Swara Bhasker Jauhar Comment: Karni Sena's Kirti Rathore Slams Actress, Asks Her To 'Correct' Her Language

Actress Swara Bhasker's recent comments on Jauhar and the climax of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat have triggered a fresh controversy. Kirti Rathore, national president of the Karni Sena's women's wing, has criticised the actress and asked her to “correct her language”.

Rathore objected to what she described as objectionable remarks about Sanatan traditions and the sacrifice and valour of Rajput women. She said historical practices such as Jauhar should be viewed in the context of the circumstances of the period in which they took place.

Karni Sena leader responds to Swara Bhasker

According to News 18, speaking about Bhasker's comments, Rathore said no one has the right to make derogatory remarks about Sanatan traditions or the sacrifices associated with Rajput women. She maintained that discussions surrounding Jauhar should be rooted in historical facts rather than interpreted without considering the context of the era.

Rathore also made it clear that the Karni Sena would oppose comments it considers disrespectful towards Rajput women and their sacrifices.

What did Swara Bhasker say about Padmaavat?

The controversy stems from remarks Swara made during an event organised by the India International Centre (IIC) in Delhi. She spoke about her reaction to the climax of Padmaavat, which features Deepika Padukone as Rani Padmavati and also stars Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh.

The film, which released in January 2018 following extensive controversy, was inspired by Malik Muhammad Jayasi's 16th-century epic poem Padmavat. Its story revolves around Rajput ruler Ratan Singh, Rani Padmavati and Sultan Alauddin Khilji.

Swara said the depiction of Jauhar made her think about the message the film could send to survivors of sexual violence. Recalling the sequence involving hundreds of women, she said:

“I’m watching this, these 800 women committing jauhar, and I was like, yaar, if I had been, 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. Is that what you want to tell in a society like ours, where I feel like there’s anyway a rape epidemic?" she said.

She further questioned the idea of linking a woman's life and worth to sexual purity. “Is this what we want to tell our survivors, that you didn’t deserve to live? That if you actually had been honourable and brave women, you would have killed yourself. Are we saying that rape is the end of a woman’s life?" she said.

Swara recalled another moment from the Jauhar sequence that particularly upset her. She referred to a close-up of a pregnant woman and questioned the implication of the scene.

“And then there was that one shot, it made me so mad, I was like, chiii, in the audience loudly. There is a close-up of a pregnant woman’s belly. And she is going, so you’re saying that a foetus that might be female doesn’t deserve to be born, because she might be raped by a Muslim ruler?" she said.

Swara Bhasker responds to backlash

Amid the criticism, Swara addressed the controversy on Tuesday through a video shared on her X handle. She claimed that portions of her remarks were being translated incorrectly and urged people to watch her original statement before forming an opinion.

“My video clip has gone viral—it’s being wrongly and falsely translated! I absolutely did not say that Queen Padmavati or any sati was a coward. It’s shameful that media channels and people are repeatedly leveling false accusations to incite people. If you want to hurl abuses, then do so—but do it on the basis of my actual statement!!! Listen and share. Women have the right to life even after rape," she wrote in the caption of her video.