Padmaavat writer defends jauhar scene after Swara Bhasker’s comments: ‘Reality of those times’

Bollywood actress Swara Bhaskar criticized the climax scene in the movie Padmaavat, which depicts women committing Jauhar to prevent sultan Allaudin Khilji and his army from taking them as prisoners. This statement sparked outrage among political figures, who called for her to respect the choices of other women. Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, reacting to Bhaskar's remarks, stated that the scene showed women's agency and that people should simply "deal with it".

She also praised the Jauhar scene as one of the most powerful parts of the movie. The Bharatiya Janata Party also condemned Bhaskar's comments, emphasizing the importance of women respecting one another. Bhaskar later clarified that her remarks were not intended to label women as cowards, but instead expressed her reaction to the scene.