Poonam Pandey Criticises Swara Bhasker Over Padmaavat Jauhar Comments

Actress Poonam Pandey has criticised Swara Bhasker over her recent remarks on the jauhar sequence in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period drama Padmaavat, saying she was disappointed to hear such comments from someone she had once considered educated and intelligent.

Speaking exclusively to IANS, Poonam said she had been a fan of Swara in the past but strongly disagreed with her criticism of the film. She argued that Bhansali had attempted to depict a historical episode rather than inventing a fictional narrative.

“I used to be her fan a long time ago. But whatever she said, she shouldn’t have said that,” Poonam said.

The Nasha actress said she found Swara’s comments particularly surprising because of the image she had formed of her as an educated and thoughtful person.

“I have a lot of anger inside me. I don’t want to say much because it’s a very stupid thing to say. I always found her so educated and so smart,” Poonam said.

She added that she believed the filmmakers had presented their interpretation of history through the film.

“The makers only showed history. They didn’t make up a story. Sanjay Leela Bhansali showed a film based on history,” she said.

Poonam also made personal remarks about Swara while expressing her anger over the issue.

Swara Bhasker’s comments had drawn attention after she spoke about the depiction of jauhar in Padmaavat during the “Woman Life Freedom” talk at the India International Centre in New Delhi on August 31.

While discussing the film’s climactic sequence, Swara questioned whether its portrayal could send a troubling message to survivors of sexual violence. She argued that presenting death as a means of protecting a woman’s honour could be interpreted as suggesting that rape survivors have somehow lost their right to live.

Swara had also questioned whether such a depiction was appropriate in a society already grappling with a serious problem of sexual violence. She described the scene as deeply problematic and said she was concerned about the message it could convey to women who have survived rape.

Padmaavat, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and released in 2018, was inspired by the legend of Rajput queen Padmavati. The film, starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, generated considerable controversy even before its release, particularly over its portrayal of Rajput history and the jauhar sequence.

The latest comments from Poonam and Swara reflect two sharply different views of the same cinematic portrayal — one focusing on historical representation and the other on the social message that such imagery may convey to contemporary audiences.