Swara Bhaskar reacts to flak on using 'vagina' in open letter to Bhansali

Mumbai: Actress Swara Bhaskar, who wrote an open letter to 'Padmaavat' director Sanjay Leela Bhansali after watching the film, has become the latest target on social media.

The letter, in which Swara suggested that she felt "reduced to a vagina" while watching the film, has gone viral and while some, like Swara's co-star from the upcoming movie 'Veere Di Wedding' Sonam Kapoor, retweeted an apprecietion, many did not find it particularly appetising.

In her piece written for The Wire, Swara called Bhansali out for glorifying acts like sati and jauhar that deeply undermine the dignity of women.

"Women have the right to live despite being raped, sir. Women have the right to live, despite the death of their husbands, male 'protectors', 'owners', 'controllers of their sexuality'.. whatever you understand the men to be," Swara wrote in her letter.

"It would be nice if the vaginas are respected; but in the unfortunate case that they are not, a woman can continue to live. She need not be punished with death, because another person disrespected her vagina without her consent," she also wrote.

Swara also stressed the fact that she had spoken up for the film while it was fighting for a release. 'Padmaavat' faced flak from numerous quarters including death threats to its director and leading actress.

The film, which depicts the legend of Rani Padmini who supposedly committed jauhar to escape the invading emperor Alauddin Khilji, finally released on January 25, but was not allowed to release by Hindutva forces in various parts of the country, despite the Supreme Court ordering the contrary.

Singer-actor Suchitra Krishnamoorthi picked up on a role of a prostituted woman played by Swara earlier on in her career, in the 2017 acclaimed film 'Anarkali of Aarah'.

"Funny that an actress who can play an erotic dancer/prostitute with such elan should feel like a vagina after watching a story of a pious queen. What standards are these... tch tch," she said.

Replying to Krishnamoorthy, Swara said that it was apalling how the society could not accept the fact that a woman uttered the word vagina and is the only part that is being recalled from an article with a word count of 2440 words.

"So, ... Vagina vagina vagina vagina vagina vagina...............vagina vagina VAGINA!!!!!," she wrote.

Krishnamoorthy was not the only one who was fixated on Swara's argument.

Award-winning journalist Sonal Kalra targetted the brand of feminism that Swara was supposedly endorsing in the article.

Also read: 'I felt like a vagina': Swara Bhasker slams Bhansali for glorifying Sati in Padmaavat

"I’ve realised that I don’t qualify as a feminist since I can’t say vagina 5 times in a sentence. No wait, not that I can’t. I don’t want to," she tweeted.

To this, Swara again replied that it was totally Sonal's choice to say the word or not, but the fact that it was the only word she recalled from the entire article was suggestive.

"...that your only recall is the use of the word vagina.. may have something to do with.. I wonder what?" Swara questioned.

To other twitterati who accused her of "belittling the entire woman community", Swara said, "Read the article again.. what part of it ‘belittles’ women. And no there is no jealousy.. tell me every time you think a thought, or have an opinion; is it because you are jealous???? That’s an unfortunate and emotionally draining existence. My sympathies."

A tweet from September 2017 about trolling trolls has been pinned on Swara Bhasker's Twitter timeline, so it doesn't look like she's backing down anytime soon.