Swara Bhasker says she doesn’t agree with Akshay Kumar: ‘But I don’t want his films to flop or get boycotted’

Actor Swara Bhasker in a new interview talked about not agreeing with Akshay Kumar owing to his choice of films. She talked about Bollywood being targeted amid boycott trends. However, Swara added that she does not want Akshay’s films to fail or get boycotted just because of a difference in opinion. Also read: Swara Bhasker unveils how boycott trends are a ‘dhanda’ for trolls

Akshay Kumar’s last few films performed poorly at than box office. Before his film Cuttputlli released on Disney+ Hotstar, Akshay’s previous releases – Bachchhan Paandey, Samrat Prithviraj and Raksha Bandhan – failed to bring the audiences to the theatre. His last theatrical release, Raksha Bandhan, was even met with boycott calls from a section of online users.

Talking about celebrities being a soft target of criticism, Swara said that those, who have a problem with India’s secularism and pluralism, are the ones who have problems with the film industry. Swara told The Hindu, “We are storytellers and should tell stories in an honest way. I think Bollywood should not make itself a platform for propaganda. Having said that Bollywood is not one tangible, homogenous entity and there could never be one voice coming out of the industry. And that’s the beauty of it… I don’t agree with Akshay Kumar because of the kind of films he supports but that doesn’t mean I want his films to flop or that he shouldn’t release his films.”

Swara said that people in a democracy should be able to express their political thoughts within the constitutional framework. She feels actors have realised the same, when their movies are boycotted. “Earlier they used to think, Swara is the problem. We are legitimising a culture of authoritarianism. Nobody is going to be safe from a culture of mob frenzy. It is just that I am just ahead of others in the queue,” the actor shared. Previously, the actor during a different conversation, said that boycotting films and stars had become a ‘profitable business.’

Swara was last seen in filmmaker Kamal Pandey’s Jahaan Chaar Yaar. After her debut with Madholal Keep Walking, Swara worked alongside Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, and Aditya Roy Kapur in Guzaarish (2010). She gained more recognition with her portrayal of Payal in Tanu Weds Manu (2010).