Swara Bhasker faces massive backlash for tweet on Chhaava – What did she say?

New Delhi: This is not the first time actor Swara Bhasker has found herself at the centre of controversy. In her tweet, she compared the outrage over the “partly fictionalised filmy torture of Hindus” in the film Chhaava to the reaction following the tragic Mahakumbh stampede. Her statement sparked a strong backlash, with many accusing her of “insulting the sentiments of Indians.”

Directed by Laxman Utekar and produced by Dinesh Vijan, Chhaava is a historical action film based on Maratha king Sambhaji, the eldest son of Shivaji Maharaj. Vicky Kaushal plays the titular role, with Rashmika Mandanna as Maharani Yesubai and Akshaye Khanna as Aurangzeb. The film, adapted from Shivaji Sawant’s Marathi novel Chhaava, is currently performing well in theatres.

Swara Bhasker’s tweet and public’s backlash

In her post on X, the Tanu Weds Manu star 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 (sic).”

Take a look below!

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

— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) February 18, 2025

The Mahakumbh stampede on January 29 claimed at least 30 lives, prompting UP CM Yogi Adityanath to announce an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh for the victims’ families.

Netizens react to Swara Bhasker’s tweet

Journalist Swati Chaturvedi countered Swara’s claims, stating: “Rethink this tweet, Swara. I am a student of history from Delhi University & nothing remotely fictional about the torture inflicted by Aurangzeb on Sambhaji Maharaj before he murdered him. Let’s not play games with our history, please. One outrage does not preclude the other.”

Supreme Court advocate Jai Anant Dehradai also slammed the actress, writing: “Fictionalised filmy torture of Hindus”?! How dare you belittle the supreme sacrifice of Sambhaji Maharaj! Your offensive and hurtful statement, that too on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s birth anniversary, is clearly meant to provoke and insult millions of Indians. You ought to be prosecuted to the fullest extent permissible under the law.”

Another user, Nitendra, remarked: “So now, Hindus caring about their history and reclaiming their narrative = ‘brain & soul-dead society’? But crying about Mughal glorification, victimhood politics, and fake secularism is ‘intellectual activism’?”

More about Chhaava

Chhaava previously faced backlash over a scene where Vicky Kaushal performed the traditional ‘lezim’ folk dance. Following criticism, the director agreed to remove the scene.

The movie portrays the brutal torture of Sambhaji by Mughal forces. Historians claim that he was asked to surrender his forts, and treasures, and convert to Islam. When he refused, he was subjected to extreme torture and eventually executed.