After Swara Bhasker’s criticism, Padmaavat writer Prakash Kapadia defends Jauhar scene: ‘It as The Reality Of Those Times’
Published: September 2, 2026, 8:11 PM IST
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Padmaavat writer Prakash Kapadia on jauhar scene (PC-Instagram)
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat may have released years ago, but the debate around the film has returned once againThe latest discussion is around its depiction of jauhar, after actor Swara Bhasker criticised the way the historical practice was shown in the film. Now, Padmaavat co-writer Prakash Kapadia has defended the controversial sequenceHe told media the makers spent considerable time researching the period and portrayed the events based on their understanding of historical accounts.
“We made the film according to our research and what is written in history books,” says Kapadia, who co-wrote the film alongside BhansaliHe told Hindustan Times, “Every person interprets the film differentlyWhat we showed including the jauhar scene was the reality of those times, it cannot be changed nowThe situation was that of ‘do or die’Woh log (the male warriors) kesariya kar ke utare thhe.”
What is Kesariya?
While defending the jauhar sequence, Kapadia also referred to the Rajput tradition of Kesariya. In this tradition, male warriors would dress in saffron-coloured clothes and enter the battlefield knowing that they were unlikely to return aliveIt was associated with situations where defeat was considered certain and the warriors prepared to fight until death. Kapadia believes this historical context was important to the story being told in Padmaavat.
Prakash Kapadia reacts to Swara Bhasker’s criticism
Swara Bhasker had described the depiction of jauhar in Padmaavat as problematicHer comments have since led to criticism and renewed discussion around the filmKapadia, however, said he has not closely followed Bhasker’s recent remarksHe believes the controversy surrounding the film’s interpretation is ultimately unnecessaryHe said, “It depends on the person’s mood, even if it’s a good film and you watch it with a bad state of mind you will find it bekaarIt’s also about intention; whether you are going as a viewer, or watching it to find something controversial, or to find negativity… With Padmaavat, people had raised objection even before watching the film and had protested on the streetsThe same conversation is continuing years later, so what can I say, let people say what they want to.”
Padmaavat faced controversy even before its release
Padmaavat, starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor, was surrounded by controversy even before it reached theatres in 2018. Several groups had objected to the film’s portrayal of Rajput history, leading to protests and demands for changesThe controversy became one of the biggest talking points around the film before its release.
Kapadia pointed out that the film was being criticised even by people who had not seen it. According to the writer, the way audiences interpret a film can depend on their expectations and the mindset with which they watch it.
