Swara Bhasker says people are more upset by ‘filmy torture’ in Chhaava than by Mahakumbh stampede

Swara Bhasker sparked backlash on social media by likening the emotional reactions to Chhaava to the muted response to a deadly stampede.

Swara Bhasker, best known for her performances in films like Nil Battey Sannata, the Tanu Weds Manu franchise, and Veere Di Wedding, recently compared the public's emotional reaction over Vicky Kaushal's historical film Chhaava with the relatively muted reaction to a tragic stampede. She criticised society for its selective outrage.

Swara Bhasker calls society 'brain and soul dead' for selective outrage over Chhaava and Mahakumbh stampede.

Swara slams society's selective outrage

On Wednesday, Swara Bhasker took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, "A society that is more enraged at the heavily embellished, partly fictionalised, 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. #IYKYK."

Her statement came after videos and audience reactions to Chhaava went viral on the internet. While some users agreed with her take on selective outrage, others criticized her comments. One tweet read, "100% yes! People love good drama, not reality. It seems everyone is running away from reality only to submerge in dramatic dramas of celluloid…" Another user commented, “Selective outrage speaks volumes. True justice means standing against all tragedies, past and present. Priorities matter. #IYKYK.”

Swara faces backlash

Criticizing Swara’s remarks about Chhaava, an X user wrote, "Yes, Swara... Chhaava was fictionalized. Had the makers shown the original torture, the Censor Board would have objected to the film’s release. Your husband’s cult committed massive atrocities under Mughal rule. More movies will come… You just need to learn to cope harder." Another comment read, "Wow, you’ve actually lost the plot." Another user wrote, “The torture in history was so horrific that the filmmakers had to tone it down just to get the movie released. The Mughals were barbarians!”

About Chhaava and Mahakumbh stampede tragedy

Chhaava, based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, played by Vicky Kaushal, has received an overwhelming response from audiences. Several videos showed viewers crying and getting furious over how Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb tortured Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and eventually killed him. In another video, a young fan was seen crying and reciting slogans in the theatre after watching the film.

The film, which stars Rashmika Mandanna, Akshaye Khanna, Ashutosh Rana, Divya Dutta, and Vineet Kumar Singh in key roles, has earned over ₹200 crore worldwide in just five days and continues to perform well at the box office.

Meanwhile, the Mahakumbh stampede claimed the lives of at least 30 people and injured more than 60 devotees. Allegations that a JCB bulldozer was used to move the bodies have further added to the horror of the incident. On February 15, at least 18 people, including children, died in a stampede at New Delhi railway station after a sudden surge of passengers, who were headed to Prayagraj for the final leg of the Maha Kumbh, due to mismanagement.