- By Swati Singh
- Sat, 27 Sep 2025 03:39 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Swara Bhaskar recently reflected on her 2013 film Raanjhanaa, admitting that she didn't recognize its problematic aspects at the time, particularly the glorification of stalking. She highlighted Bollywood's tendency to portray male heroes as victims, citing examples like Raanjhanaa, Saiyaara, and Devdas. According to Swara, this narrative trope resonates commercially, with films featuring victimised men often becoming big hits.
Swara humorously noted that Indian men love playing the victim card, saying, "Mardon ki bechargi se zyada profitable art mein kuch nahi hai" - Nothing sells more in art than stories about victimized men. Swara believes this reflects a societal normalization of problematic behaviors like stalking, often disguised as romance.
In a conversation with Hauterrfly, the actress said, "India is full of 'naskatuye aashiq'. Jo karna hai karo (Do what you want). I feel it's the favourite thing of men; they want to be victims. They'll somehow find a way to play the victims. Sabse bade victim card men khelte hain bhai (Men play the victim card all the time)!"
Swara went on to add, "Just look at all our hits. Raanjhanaa: the poor guy dies at the end. Saiyaara: poor guy is in love, but the girl is taking someone else's name. There are many examples, like Devdas... Every big hit... Mardon ki bechargi se zyada profitable art mein kuch nahi hai (Nothing sells more than a story about victimised men)."
Swara Bhaskar reflected on her film Raanjhanaa, directed by Aanand L Rai, which was criticised for glorifying stalking. She admitted that during filming, she and the team didn't realise the issue, with attention focused more on the script's humor. Swara recalled facing criticism even during the trailer launch and advised the team to avoid defending the stalking narrative, which ultimately contributed to the film's success.