Swara Bhasker on boycott culture: Art cannot be produced in an atmosphere of fear

Recent boycott calls for several films -- big and small -- have raised questions about the increased sensitivity of Indian audiences, and if this will affect the creative process of making a film; something that actor Swara Bhasker believes will ‘definitely happen’.

She explains, “The more you limit freedom and build an atmosphere of fear, the more your art, culture, your entertainment, and artistic performances will suffer. Art cannot be produced in an atmosphere of fear.”

Bhasker expresses disappointment over the fact that we have created a culture where a mob is raging in a rampant manner with zero accountability. “In the last few years, we literally had cases of leading directors - Prakash Jha and Sanjay Leela Bhansali- being attacked on their own film sets. Of course, people are scared. It’s not just the filmmakers, but the whole population is scared. You live in a country where you can go to jail for a Facebook post and this happens across states. It’s not about any one place or the other. So of course that is going to affect the industry and the process of making art with an open mind.”

She adds, “But at the same time, the more the perception of fear, the more there will be different voices coming out in different ways. I am 100 percent sure about that.”

When asked about the changing dynamic of the film industry and how films with social relevance have been the focus of filmmakers lately, while out-an-out entertainers take a back seat, Swara agrees social messages are important but she adds that at end of the day, it’s an art form.

“It should not be seen as propaganda, political pamphlets, or jhanda, parcha, morcha...political rally. All that’s required is for the film to be true to the art and literature part of it...the craft of it. If all that is taken care of, it will be good cinema,” ends the Jahaan Chaar Yaar actor.