Swara Bhasker has opened up about a disturbing experience from the early years of her acting careerThe actress recalled being sexually harassed by a director during a film shoot in 2011
Published: November 15, 2026, 3:01 PM IST
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Swara Bhasker (PC: Instagram)
The early years of an acting career can be challenging, particularly for women who are still trying to establish themselves in the film industryWhile actors often speak about the pressure of finding work and dealing with competition, uncomfortable experiences on film sets are not always discussed openlySwara Bhasker has now revisited one such incident from 2011, when she was still relatively new to BollywoodIn a recent conversation, the actress spoke about an experience that took place during an outdoor film shoot in Madhya PradeshShe also explained why she could not immediately identify the director’s behaviour as sexual harassment and how someone from the production team eventually stepped in to support her.
Swara Bhasker recalls sexual harassment during 2011 film shoot in Pachmarhi
Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Swara Bhasker recalled facing sexual harassment by a film director during an outdoor shoot in Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh, in 2011At the time, she was in her early twenties and had recently appeared in Tanu Weds Manu.
The actress revealed that she was in a vulnerable position because she did not have a personal team or industry contacts she could approach for help“I was vulnerable in a very different wayI didn’t have a personal team, I didn’t have people that I could reach out to,” she said.
Swara also admitted that she did not recognise the director’s behaviour as sexual harassment while it was happeningSince there had been no physical contact, she struggled to understand that what she was experiencing was workplace harassment.
“I didn’t even know, I didn’t identify it as sexual harassment at the workplace while it was happening because since the man had made no physical contact with me,” she explained
The actress said that it was only years later, after the MeToo movement gained attention and women began sharing their experiences, that she understood what had happened to her“I was like, oh my God, this is harassmentIt’s like a textbook case of harassment,” Swara recalled.
Why Swara Bhasker did not leave the film despite the harassment?
Swara Bhasker also spoke about the difficult position she found herself in during the shootThe film had a 56-day shooting schedule, and the alleged harassment had started within the first few days.
However, walking away from the project was not an easy decisionShe was still trying to establish herself as an actor and did not want to lose an important professional opportunity.
The actress explained that women often find themselves in situations where they have to think about their careers while dealing with inappropriate behaviour at workShe said, “I don’t want to leave the projectI don’t want to lose workI mean, I also have my own ambitions, right? Which is fairLike why shouldn’t I?”
Swara eventually decided to speak to the film’s executive producer and inform him about the director’s behaviourShe revealed, “He actually became my friendHe protected meAt that time and today he’s my managerSpeak to people, seek help, seek support and call things out immediately because now we can actually do it.”
Swara Bhasker’s most recent project was the reality show Rise & Fall Season 2, where she appeared as a contestant and reached the grand finale.
