Actor Swara Bhasker recently revisited the long-standing controversy around her 2013 film Raanjhanaa. The Aanand L Rai directorial, which starred Dhanush and Sonam Kapoor alongside Swara, was widely criticised for allegedly glorifying stalking.
Swara Bhasker calls out Bollywood’s victimised men trope, cites Raanjhanaa, Devdas, and Saiyaara as examples: “India is full of ‘naskatuye aashiq’”
In a conversation with Hauterrfly, Swara admitted that she did not identify the problematic aspects of the film at the time of making it. “While we were doing Raanjhanaa, we also didn’t realise… Himanshu (Sharma) is a very talented writer. His script was so funny, and nobody noticed. I definitely didn’t,” she recalled. Swara revealed that her first brush with criticism came during the trailer launch when a journalist raised a question on the subject. “I came back and told Himanshu and Aanand sir, ‘Don’t fall for this, and don’t start defending stalking. Avoid this conversation altogether. It was a big hit.”
The actor went on to point out how the film reflected one of Indian cinema’s most popular tropes—the suffering of a male protagonist. “India is full of ‘naskatuye aashiq’. Jo karna hai karo (Do what you want). I feel it’s the favourite thing of men; they want to be victims. They’ll somehow find a way to play the victims. Sabse bade victim card men khelte hain bhai (Men play the victim card all the time)!”
Highlighting examples from hit films across eras, Swara added, “Just look at all our hits. Raanjhanaa; the poor guy dies at the end. Saiyaara; poor guy is in love but the girl is taking someone else’s name. There are many examples, like Devdas… Every big hit… Mardon ki bechargi se zyada profitable art mein kuch nahi hai (Nothing sells more than a story about victimised men).”
Speaking of the professional front, Swara is currently seen in TV reality show, Pati Patni Aur Panga.
Also Read: Swara Bhasker on turning a year older, “I don’t miss the limelight. Twitter keeps me alive”
More Pages: Saiyaara Box Office Collection , Saiyaara Movie Review
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