Swara Bhasker criticizes public reaction to Chhaava compared to Maha Kumbh stampede: “Brain and soul-dead society”
Bollywood actress Swara Bhasker stirred controversy when she compared the public’s response to Vicky Kaushal’s most recent film, Chhaava, to the Maha Kumbh stampede that took place in Prayagraj on January 29. Swara emphasized the sharp contrast between the fury over the movie’s portrayal of historical events and the comparatively quiet response to the horrific deaths in the stampede in an insightful post on the social media site X. Her remarks have sparked a broad conversation on cultural objectives and empathy.
Early on Wednesday, Swara Bhasker turned to social media to note that the crowd appeared to be more impacted by Chhaava’s depiction of historical torture than by the actual deaths at the Maha Kumbh. “A society that is more outraged 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,” she wrote, without specifically mentioning the film or its star. #IYKYK (sic).
Her comments apparently alluded to viral recordings that showed viewers’ emotional reactions to sequences showing Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb torturing and killing Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in the movie’s climax.
Public Reactions and Social Media Debate
Social media users have conflicting reactions to Swara Bhasker’s remark. Some users shared her opinion, wondering why historical dramatization generated more intense feelings than modern tragedies. She allegedly minimized historical events, which drew criticism from others. As participants expressed their opinions on empathy, historical accounts, and contemporary social ideals, the discussion grew more heated.
