Actress Swara Bhasker has issued a clarification after facing criticism for her recent tweet, which sparked a heated debate on social media. Her post questioned societal priorities, suggesting that people were more outraged over a fictionalized torture scene of Hindus than the deaths in two recent stampedes. Many saw her tweet as a reference to the Vicky Kaushal-starrer Chhaava, though she did not mention the film directly.
In her initial tweet, Bhasker wrote, "A society that is more enraged at the heavily embellished partly fictionalized filmy torture of Hindus from 500 years ago than they are at the horrendous death by stampede & mismanagement + then alleged JCB bulldozer handling of corpses - is a brain & soul-dead society."
After receiving criticism, she re-shared her post and clarified her stance. She stated, "My tweet has generated much debate & avoidable misunderstanding. Without any doubt, I respect the brave legacy and contribution of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, especially his ideas of social justice & respect for women. My limited point is that glorifying our history is great but should not be misused to hide present failures."
She added, "Historical understanding should unite people, not divide them. If my earlier tweet hurt any sentiments, that is regretted. Like any proud Indian, I am also proud of our history."
Despite her clarification, many social media users remained critical. Some accused her of offering an insincere apology, while others demanded legal action against her remarks.