‘Abuse me, but for right thing’: Swara Bhasker says she never called Rani Padmaavati a coward

Swara Bhasker clarified that she never called the character Rani Padmaavati a "coward" in her comments about Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film Padmaavat. In a viral clip from a recent talk in Delhi, Bhasker claimed her remarks were misconstrued and spread falsely, stating she was only expressing her concern about how the film's climax could affect survivors of sexual violence.

Bhasker emphasized that the issue was not about Padmaavati or the other women who committed jauhar, but rather the message the scene could send to survivors of rape, suggesting they should feel like cowards for not taking their own lives. She argued that this message could be dangerous in a society plagued by sexual violence, as it could imply that a woman's honor is more important than her life.