Swara Bhaskar recently opened up about not recognising the problematic aspects of her film Raanjhanaa back in 2013. She also shed light on one of Bollywood's most tried and tested narrative: portraying male heroes as victims, citing examples such as Raanjhanaa, Saiyaara, and Devdas.
What's Happening
- Swara Bhaskar spoke about how the portrayal of the "suffering male protagonist" in Bollywood films continues to resonate commercially.
- In an interview 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)!"
- She 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 On How She Didn't Realise Raanjhanaa Glorified Stalking
The Aanand L Rai directorial was widely criticised for glorifying stalking as a theme.
Speaking about this, Swara Bhaskar admitted, "While we were doing Raanjhanaa, we also didn't realise... Himanshu (Sharma) is a very talented writer. His script was so funny, and nobody noticed. I definitely didn't."
Recalling her first brush with criticism during the trailer launch, Swara revealed, "I came back and told Himanshu and Aanand sir, 'Don't fall for this, and don't start defending stalking. Avoid this conversation altogether.' It was a big hit."
Raanjhanaa's Recent AI-Altered Release
Aanand L Rai's Raanjhanaa was originally released as Ambikapathy in its Tamil dubbed version in 2013. It was re-released in Tamil Nadu theatres on August 1, 2025. However, instead of celebrating, the filmmaker expressed disappointment after studio Eros International incorporated a new, AI-generated ending, as the re-release posters suggested.
Director Aanand L Rai criticised production banner Eros International for introducing an alternate climax edited by AI for the Tamil re-release Ambikapathy without his consent.
The film's lead star, Dhanush, who played Kundan in the 2013 original, also issued a statement expressing his displeasure.
Interestingly, many fans welcomed the revised "happy ending" in the re-release of the Tamil version.
Raanjhanaa Original Ending
The "happy ending" context arises from the fact that in the original film, Kundan (Dhanush) dies. The AI-generated climax alters this, suggesting an ending where Kundan survives.
In the 2013 version, Kundan dies after being shot at a public rally orchestrated by those intent on his demise. Zoya (Sonam Kapoor), his love interest, is aware of the conspiracy, as is Kundan himself. Yet, his love for Zoya prevents him from exposing it outright.
In A Nutshell
Swara Bhaskar reflected on the criticism Raanjhanaa faced for glorifying stalking and drew parallels with films such as the recent Saiyaara and Shah Rukh Khan's Devdas, underlining Bollywood's recurring fascination with narratives of "victimised men."
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