The backlash over Swara Bhasker’s comments on jauhar has moved beyond social media, with BJP workers taking to the streets in Patna on Thursday to protest against the actor.

The demonstration was held at Dak Bungalow Chauraha, a major intersection in the city, and was led by BJP leader Krishna Singh ‘Kallu’.

The protesters objected to Bhasker’s remarks on the portrayal of jauhar in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2018 film Padmaavat, accusing her of insulting women associated with the tradition.

The protest comes after Bhasker faced a wave of criticism online over comments she made at an event earlier this week.

She subsequently issued a clarification, saying her remarks were not aimed at Rani Padmavati or the women who performed jauhar.

What did Swara Bhasker say about ‘jauhar’?

Bhasker had questioned the message conveyed by the film’s depiction of jauhar, a practice in which women in some Rajput communities are said to have committed mass self-immolation to avoid capture, enslavement or sexual violence when defeat in war appeared imminent.

Speaking at a recent event, Bhasker questioned whether presenting the practice as an act of honour could inadvertently place the burden of ‘purity’ or honour above a woman’s right to survive.

She argued that such a portrayal could leave rape survivors wondering whether they were somehow less courageous because they survived sexual violence.

Bhasker had also questioned whether the message of Padmaavat could be interpreted as suggesting that a woman should choose death to preserve her honour, asking whether that was an appropriate message in a society already grappling with sexual violence.

Her remarks quickly became the subject of an intense social media tussle, with critics accusing her of disrespecting the historical sacrifice associated with jauhar.

Bhasker clarifies, but protests continue

As criticism mounted, Bhasker posted a video clarifying her position. She said she had not called Rani Padmavati or the women who performed jauhar cowards.

Her argument, she maintained, was about the way contemporary cinema represents and glorifies historical practices, rather than an attack on the women depicted in Padmaavat.

Bhasker also stressed that survivors of sexual violence should never be made to feel that surviving an assault makes them less brave.

The Patna protest is not the first street-level demonstration against the actor over the remarks.

In Agra, members of the Yogi Youth Brigade had earlier protested by burning and trampling her posters.

Its state president Kunwar Ajay Tomar had criticised Bhasker over her comments and announced a reward of ₹1.51 lakh for anyone who cuts her tongue, besides reportedly using abusive language against her.

The controversy has also drawn objections from the Karni Sena, with its women's wing national president Kirti Rathore arguing that jauhar and the sacrifice of Rajput women must be understood within the historical circumstances of the period.

What began as a debate over a film's treatment of a historical practice has now widened into a sharper confrontation over historical memory, women's right to life and the limits of cinematic interpretation.