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The Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial Padmaavat has hit the Rs 150 crore mark and could easily go down in history as one of the most controversial films. This poster child of ‘freedom of speech and expression’ is far from being unanimously loved. The jauhar scene in the climax of the Deepika Padukone starrer has been criticised by many for its glorification of an antiquated patriarchal practice that reformers toiled to abolish.
Swara Bhasker, the only person from the Hindi film industry went on to express her no-holds-barred opinion on the film. She wrote an open letter to Bhansali and commented on the deification of Rani Padmavati and on equating a tragic incident with the idealised concept of honour. The Anarkali Of Aarah actress said that she felt “reduced to a vagina” after watching the film.
She clarified in the letter, at the outset that she has been a fan of his operatic storytelling and Swara also commended the performance of the cast, steering clear of any vicious intentions.
In an interview with India Today, Deepika Padukone responded to Swara’s letter and took a dig at her.
“She (Swara) probably missed the disclaimer at the beginning of the film. You probably went out to buy some popcorn and missed the initial disclaimers that come out. I think, secondly, the fact that it is important to view a film in totality and to see in which period it was set in. Third of all, I think for me this film is not just about the act (jauhar) that they all committed, but it stood for so much more. For me, it’s a celebration of women and their strength, power and dignity.”Deepika Padukone
While Shahid found the letter a bit “odd”, Ranveer said that he received a message from Swara congratulating him for his performance in the film.
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