Bollywood actor Swara Bhasker certainly doesn’t shy away from speaking her mind. At an event held recently by a leading daily, the Anaarkali of Aarah actor touched upon feminism and the freedom of choice that most women are denied, and of course, Bollywood.
“Feminism is about choice. If women want to deny themselves their own rights, sure. If you want to wear a ‘saree’, keep a ‘karvachauth’, vote for Trump, or Modi, sure go ahead - they are doing it already. As long as people are having conversations, all is good. As long as people are not being lynched, they are not being burnt alive, as long as they are not being tied on jeeps and being flogged, and as long as our leaders are not attending pro-rape rallies, I think all is good.”Swara Bhasker, Actor
Swara Bhasker, best known for playing an Bihari erotic dancer in Anaarkali of Aarah, has been keenly noticing a trend, what she calls the ‘caste profile of Bollywood’.
“When we talk about nepotism and the kinds of privileges and places that we are born into, there are many invisible kinds in operation as well. There is this critique that I have been reading. If you look at the caste profile of Bollywood - the actors and stars - there are hardly any Dalits. This is something we need to think about and ponder carefully.”
Swara also takes into account her privileged background, in time when actors from smaller towns find it difficult to make a mark.
“I am very privileged, all thanks to the support of my parents. Also, the kind of background I come from, equipped with a cultural and social capital. Added to this, is the fact that I speak English in Bollywood. I will say this, that maybe at that time I was not the most talented actors around. I am sure there were more talented girls from small towns, who did not quite look like from the same class as I was. I could perhaps go up to a producer and crack a joke.”
As for Bollywood, the Veere Di Wedding actor claims that the TV show Chitrahaar was her inspiration to act.
“It was fully the ‘naatch gaana’ of Bollywood that motivated me to move to Mumbai. It is completely pathetic, sad and narcissistic - the reason that I wanted to move to Bollywood: to appear in the TV show ‘Chitrahaar’.”Swara Bhasker, Actor
(Source: Indian Express)
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