New Delhi, Sep 4 — Several spiritual leaders on Friday criticised actress Swara Bhasker over her remarks on the portrayal of Jauhar in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film 'Padmaavat', accusing her of disrespecting the sacrifice and bravery of women associated with the tradition.

Speaking to IANS, Sitaram Das Ji Maharaj, Mahant of Saket Bhawan Temple, said that questioning the penance, dedication and sacrifice of women who performed Jauhar was “highly condemnable”.

“Swara Bhasker herself is a woman. Questioning the penance, dedication and sacrifice of those brave women is highly condemnable. Her statement reflects a very regressive mindset towards society and her own family,” he said.

“Questioning the bravery of such women is like spitting at the Sun. Her remarks about these brave women only bring disrepute to her own image. One should never make such statements about women who contributed to the uplift of society and fought against barbaric invaders,” he added.

Sitaram Das Ji Maharaj further said that the country belonged to women of valour, devotion and sacrifice, adding that such remarks would not be accepted.

Mahamandaleshwar Yatindranand Giri of the Juna Akhara said people formed opinions according to their own nature and argued that Bollywood personalities should not automatically be considered social icons or role models.

“People think according to their nature, and those associated with Bollywood should not be considered social icons or role models. Their work is primarily entertainment, a tradition that has existed since ancient times. Earlier, there were theatrical performances, and today they have moved to television and cinema. Therefore, neither they nor their statements can be considered an ideal for society,” he said.

Arya Sant Varun Das Ji Maharaj also criticised Bhasker, saying that those who did not understand the dignity of women or the values associated with Indian womanhood could not understand the concept of Jauhar.

“People who do not understand the dignity of women or the values of Indian womanhood cannot understand Jauhar. They cannot comprehend the sacrifices made by our brave women who fought with swords,” he said.

Mahant Deveshacharya Ji Maharaj, successor to Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, also targeted the actress over her film roles and language.

“Swara Bhasker herself lacks character. You can see the kind of roles she has played in films and the kind of language used in them. It is said that one’s character is shaped by one’s conduct. You can judge what kind of ideology Swara Bhasker follows by looking at her roles in films,” he said.

Katha Vachak Aniruddhacharya said women such as Padmavati were regarded as symbols of purity and sacrifice.

“Women like Padmavati are pure women. They are called Sati. They sacrificed their lives to protect their honour. We should understand from these stories that if anything is worth more than life, it is one’s character. That is why, even if life is lost, character should not be lost,” he said.

Mahant Raju Das Ji Maharaj said Jauhar represented cultural traditions, women’s dignity and sacrifice.

“Jauhar represents our culture, the dignity of women and the chastity of our mothers and sisters. It reflects the self-reflection and sacrifice of the women of our country, who are born in the forms of Durga, Lakshmi and Kali,” he said.

He added that repeated derogatory remarks against Sanatan Dharma would not be tolerated.

The controversy comes after Swara Bhasker spoke about Deepika Padukone’s Jauhar scene in the movie 'Padmaavat', calling the sequence problematic and questioning the message it conveyed to women and survivors of sexual violence.

Swara Bhasker recently shared that she wrote a letter to Sanjay Leela Bhansali after 'Padmaavat' was released. She spoke about the letter during an event in New Delhi and discussed her concerns about the film and its portrayal of Jauhar.

She said, “I'm watching this and it shows all these 800 women committing Jauhar. Watching it, I was thinking that 'God forbid, I was a rape survivor, what is this film telling me? I would feel like a coward. That I didn't kill myself to save my honour. Is that what you want to tell women in a society like ours where I feel like there's anyway a rape epidemic. Is that what we want to tell our survivors that you don't deserve to live? That if you had actually been brave and honourable women, you would have killed yourself? Are we saying that rape is the end of a woman's life?"

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