Ranvir Shorey calls Swara Bhasker ‘utterly shameless’ over Padmaavat’s Jauhar remark: ‘Where’s the connection?’

Ranvir Shorey slams Swara Bhasker over ‘Padmaavat’ Jauhar remark: ‘Where’s the connection?’

Mumbai: A fresh Bollywood debate has erupted over the controversial Jauhar sequence in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 2018 film Padmaavat, with actor Ranvir Shorey strongly criticising actress Swara Bhasker for her recent comments on the scene.

Shorey described Bhasker's remarks as “utterly shameless” and questioned the connection she drew between Jauhar and the experiences of women who survive sexual violence.

What did Swara Bhasker say about the Jauhar scene?

The controversy began after Swara revisited her criticism of Padmaavat during a recent discussion in Delhi.

The actress has long objected to the film's climactic depiction of Jauhar, arguing that presenting women choosing death rather than facing sexual violence could send a troubling message to modern audiences, particularly survivors of rape. She also pointed to the presence of a pregnant woman in the sequence as an especially disturbing element.

Swara's remarks quickly triggered criticism on social media, with some users arguing that she was judging a historical practice solely through a contemporary lens.

Ranvir Shorey questions her comparison

Reacting to Swara's comments, Ranvir Shorey questioned why the historical depiction of Jauhar should be connected to the experiences of modern-day rape survivors.

He criticised her interpretation and described the remarks as “utterly shameless”, adding to the growing debate around how traumatic historical events should be represented in cinema.

Shorey's reaction has brought the issue back into the spotlight, with the debate now extending beyond Padmaavat to questions about historical accuracy, artistic interpretation and the responsibility of filmmakers when depicting sensitive subjects.

Swara says her comments were misunderstood

Swara has subsequently pushed back against the criticism.

In a clarification, she said her remarks had been “completely mistranslated” and stressed that she never called Rani Padmaavati or women who performed Jauhar “cowardly”.

Instead, she said her criticism was directed at what she viewed as the glorification of Jauhar in the film and the possible message it could send to women who have survived sexual violence.

She also argued that survivors have a right to live and rebuild their lives after experiencing sexual violence.

‘Padmaavat’ writer defends the sequence

Amid the renewed controversy, Padmaavat co-writer Prakash Kapadia has defended the film's portrayal of Jauhar.

Kapadia argued that the sequence represented the reality of the period being depicted and said historical events cannot simply be altered to fit contemporary sensibilities.

His response has added another perspective to the debate: whether historical cinema should primarily reproduce the worldview of the period or reinterpret such events through modern social values.

Why the debate has resurfaced now

Padmaavat, starring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, faced intense controversy even before its 2018 release over its depiction of Rajput history and the character of Rani Padmaavati.

Years later, Swara's renewed criticism has once again brought the film's final Jauhar sequence into public discussion.

The latest exchange between Swara and Ranvir highlights the continuing disagreement over whether depicting Jauhar amounts to documenting a tragic historical reality or risks romanticising an act of self-immolation.

For now, the debate remains firmly divided between historical representation and contemporary interpretation, with both sides offering sharply different views on what audiences should take away from the scene.