India Isn't Comfortable With Women Who Are Unapologetic About Their Sexuality: Swara Bhaskar

New Delhi: Actress Swara Bhaskar is as real off screen as she is while facing the camera. The actresse breezes into the hall to chat about her upcoming film Anaarkali of Aarah, and there is already a vibe which is so warm and happy that you wouldn’t want to miss. Despite churlish questions to deal with, and of course a few noisy reporters, not only is Swara successful in holding a pleasant conversation, but also proves that she is indeed the nicest celebrity to be with, and that stardom doesn’t necessarily make one unpleasant. Swara - who is consistently brutally honest on social media, is rarely seen without a huge smile and a thought-provoking message to share. As expected, she was at her candid best during her interview with News18.com.

Calling Anarkali of Aarah a film that is high on entertainment, Swara shares the reason why it is such a unique Bollywood project too. “Anaarkali Of Aarah is a very interesting film because you haven’t seen this world or heard the story ever since Teesri Kasam – which featured Raj Kapoor and Waheda Rahman was released. In some sense, it is the first time that the story has been told like this. It is about a heroine you have never seen before because every time you've had a heroine like her, you have tried to justify her character. We haven’t tried to justify her character in any way, we have just shown her for what she is and let people deal with it. If we have been able to evoke a sense of empathy for Anaarkali, that’s our success and if we couldn’t, at least we tried. It is an exciting film. Agar lehenge aur choli mei ladki naach rahi hai toh issey entertaining kya ho akta hai."

Directed by Avinash Das, Anaarkali of Aarah features actors Pankaj Tripathi and Sanjay Mishra too, but chiefly revolves around the Anaarkali, an erotic singer from Bihar, who croons double meaning songs to eke out a livelihood. But things go wrong when she decides to take on a powerful man who molests her. Rather than giving into societal pressure, and bowing down to misogynistic rules, she decides to take revenge.

Considering the fact that it is never easy for anyone to respect independent women, it is easy to chide someone like Anaarkali too. “Anaarkali is a fiercely independent woman and what's interesting is that she is independent in the context that doesn’t respect her independence in anyway. Also that doesn’t respect her work because she wears her sexuality so openly. Her job is about singing double-meaning songs. She isn’t embarrassed by her sexuality. People can’t give her decent respect and that’s why she becomes so strong. She doesn’t bow down to societal pressure either. And these are the interesting stories to hear. What's more interesting is that this film is based on true instances - not just one, but more."

But does she feel Bollywood is usually conservative when it comes to portraying women’s sexuality on-screen? “The fact is that our country isn’t comfortable with women who are fiercely independent or who are unapologetic about their sexuality. Since the audience isn’t comfortable, you don’t see it in Bollywood films either. In that sense AOA is very positive step and start."

Since the film also deals with the core theme of taking on lecherous men, Swara feels it is high time we stop making excuses for those who exploit women, and begin to hold them culpable for their actions. And of course, SHAME them. So if you want to take on lecherous men, here’s what she suggests. “First, don’t tolerate it. Don’t be scared, counter it, protest against it, but also be safe. Be careful because you don’t know what kind of reaction you will get. Be alert. Once you have identified if he is a lech, don’t hang around too much with him. Shame him if you get the opportunity because it isn’t your burden, your shame if something happens to you. Don’t blame yourself. It isn’t your fault. This is the problem of that mentality - they do it not because of what you wore and or said, or did - these people will do it to whoever they find."

Anarkali of Aarah made headlines when it came under the CBFC axe. The film’s producer Sandiip Kapur had mentioned in his interviews that the Censor Board ordered 11 cuts to ensure it was released with ‘A’ certification. Even though the makers accepted to incorporate the cuts, they continue to be against censorship of any type. On being asked if Censor Board’s powers should be trimmed, Swara says, “Trim is a very polite the word. Shred is the word I’m looking for. We need to do a serious examination of how Censor Board operates, and really what the limitation of its rights and power should be."

Any thoughts on Pahlaj Nihalani behaving like the guardian of Indian values? “Pahlaj Nihalani is a symptom of the larger kind of trend that the government has towards freedom of expression. I have no thought really. I don’t want to think about him too much."

While most of us think of Swara as a spontaneous and not method actor, she has a completely different perspective to share. “I’m not a spontaneous actor – it’s just fine acting of being spontaneous. Pankaj Tripathi is natural - much like oxygen. And we are like carbon monoxide – there are several chemicals that make us."

Keeping in mind the rustic look of the film, her character too had to wear flashy clothes which were inexpensive and apply loud makeup which worked in consonance with the mood of the area the film is set in. So when the film’s look was released, she was undoubtedly excited about it. “That’s because I realized here was a chance to do something different. Because I had met these girls and watched their shows too, I used their songs as reference for my looks," she said, adding," We had three distinct looks of Anaarkali. The one which she sports as a Desi pop star is evident during her performances, when she is the real ‘queen’ of the stage of Arrah. For that I worked with my designer Rupa Chaurasiya who is also from Bihar. I told her that I wanted a visual recall to the look of the character I play. Hence, we decided on passa, which you’ll see her wearing in all her performances. Interestingly, even when she is singing and not performing, she wears. And yes, loud makeup, excessive foundation, dark eye shadow and dark nail paints were also used to make her character real." That’s not all, for a general look that Swara wore normal clothes which were prepared under a budget that included just Rs 30-50/ meter clothing and saris that didn’t cost more than Rs 100."

Considering the efforts that she invests in every character she essays, Swara continues to be one of the versatile actors we have right now.