Swara Bhasker addressed the stalking controversy in ‘Raanjhanaa,’ admitting they were unaware during filming. She criticized films portraying men as victims, citing examples like ‘Raanjhanaa’ and ‘Saiyaara.’ The 2025 hit ‘Saiyaara’ revived romance, earning over Rs 500 crore worldwide and breaking action film dominance.
Swara Bhasker, who is trying to restart her career after being blocked by some producers and brands and after becoming a mother, talked again about the controversy around her film ‘Raanjhanaa.’ The movie was criticized for showing stalking in a positive way, and Swara said that she and others did not know about this problem until the trailer came out. She quickly told the film’s writer, Himanshu Sharma, and director, Aanand L. Rai, not to talk about this issue during the film’s promotion. She also mentioned other movies that use similar ideas to attract men in India.Lack of awareness during filmingIn an interview with Hauterrfly, Swara said she didn’t recognize the issues with ‘Raanjhanaa’ while working on it, explaining that the film follows the familiar Indian storytelling trope of showing the pain of a victimized man. She mentioned that during the making of the film, they didn’t realize the problem because Himanshu Sharma’s script was very funny and no one noticed the issue, including herself. She recalled that the first time she became aware of it was at the trailer launch when a male journalist asked a question in English that few understood. After that, she told Himanshu and director Aanand L. Rai not to engage in defending stalking and to avoid that conversation during the promotional tour, noting that the film ended up being a big hit. Critique of male victimhood in filmsThe actress criticized other popular films for exhibiting similar flaws, asserting that India is rife with “naskatuye aashiq” and that men frequently assume the role of the victim, always seeking opportunities to do so. She explained, “Can I tell you, India is full of troublemaker lovers. Do whatever you want. I feel it’s men’s favorite thing; they want to be victims. They always find a way to play the victim. Men constantly play the victim card! Just look at our hits. In Raanjhana, the poor guy dies at the end. In Saiyaara, the poor guy loves, but the girl names someone else. There are many examples, like Devdas… Every big hit… Nothing sells better than stories of victimized men”.Saiyaara’s success and genre revivalThe film ‘Saiyaara,’ directed by Mohit Suri, was a big hit in 2025. It starred Aneet Padda and Ahaan Panday and earned more than Rs 500 crore worldwide. Its success brought back the romance genre after many years of action movies being popular.
