Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 10, 2020)

After helping 100 migrants return to their hometown safely in the Coronavirus lockdown, actor Swara Bhasker recently arranged safe transportation for 22 labourers from Begusarai, Bihar, who were stuck at their company site in Vishakapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. When Bhasker received a message on her Twitter handle, which gave details about the workers, she called them and took stock of the situation.

A source says, “Understanding the plight of the labourers, Bhasker jumped into action and contacted the district collector and the police authorities to arrange permissions and a bus to send the migrants back home to Bihar. Going an extra mile, she also ensured that all financial dues of the 22 company workers were cleared by their employer before they left for home.”

Earlier, Swara had arranged buses for 100 migrants stuck in Bahadurgarh, Haryana, to their hometown Ballia in Uttar Pradesh.

“I’ve been participating in the relief efforts using Twitter as a platform. I have been collaborating with different groups regarding the same and that’s when I heard of these migrants. I was so pleased with the prompt action by the police, especially IPS Vishal Gunni. He got everything done within five days,” she says.

She adds, “This is a time of great difficulty but also of great hope because I’ve seen people within the bureaucratic system come forward to help the migrants.”

Riya Sharma (BOMBAY TIMES; May 20, 2019)

She is a familiar face in Bollywood, but that’s not the reason why she’s been in the spotlight lately. Swara Bhasker is on a journey of getting socio-politically educated, and has spent the last month lending her star power to multiple political rallies by Lok Sabha candidates. We recently met the actress at her residence in JNU. “I am so tired after campaigning. I can’t wait to go back to Bollywood now,” said Swara, who has campaigned for six candidates from different political parties. From losing four brand campaigns because of her political ideologies to why she doesn’t want to leave Bollywood for politics yet, Swara talks about her political awakening. Excerpts:

You are a mainstream actress, who has been actively campaigning and for multiple candidates and parties. How did your family, friends from JNU and the industry react to your political awakening?
My friends in the industry are poking fun at me, saying, ‘Oh, you have become a neta’. But they are not surprised. In fact, they think this is my natural habitat. Huma (Qureshi) is very convinced that this is where I should be headed. Himanshu (Sharma), who joined me in Sikar, has advised me not to jump into anything and told me ‘Beta, ye sher ki sawari hai’! My friends from JNU are picking holes in my arguments (laughs!). They think that I am being too much of a ‘strategist’. My dad is pretty chilled out but my mom keeps asking me if I am sure about heading down this path.

But is this something that you want to do full-time in future?
It is very tiring. Campaigning is still a glamorous part of it. The real grit and grime is the daily work of dealing with what is happening in your constituency. I don’t know if I am in that zone. I know for sure that if I decide to do this, then I can’t do films. I can’t be a politician who only shows up at the constituency around elections. I like acting and I am also producing a film. I campaigned because in these elections, the stakes are high, after the things that have happened in our country. Whether it is mob violence, killings over beef, or just the general violence that has seeped into our lives and vocabulary. But Pragya Thakur really got me. I was like, ‘If this is it then we should really be involved’. Initially, I was campaigning for Kanhaiya Kumar because I thought he should be in the Parliament, but when the Pragya incident happened, I wanted to go places where I could speak to people. As a citizen, I also want to have a better idea of how elections are conducted. It has been a huge learning experience for me, but I am eagerly waiting to get back to Bollywood now.

How do you think your campaigning helps a candidate? How did the audience react to a fresh face?
I knew that people were calling me because I am a heroine. As soon as I learnt that I would be campaigning, I went and bought 20 saris and got my wardrobe sorted. Maine blouse silva liye, jewellery leli and curated my look. I used to blow dry my hair in morning, put on my hair extensions and make-up, and wear my chunky earrings. I knew that the media would come for pictures and interviews, which in turn could be used as a platform to talk about issues that matter. For the public, it’s not a politician joh white kurta and jacket mein aa raha hai, they see a young person with colourful clothes. Even if they haven’t seen my films, they know that they’ve seen my face somewhere. It kind of helps jab aap naare laga rahe ho, people get excited to shake hands. In Bihar, it was a big connect because of Raanjhanaa and Jiya Ho Bihar Ke Lala (the phrase was a part of her speech in Begusarai). A lot of my films have done really well in Bihar. In Rajasthan also, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo did really well and people could place me. Bhopal campaign was also interesting. I did interactions with students and young entrepreneurs and went to mohallas. I am also viewing this as political, sociological education for myself.

We saw Bollywood getting political quite openly in these elections. Is this increased presence in politics a good thing for the political system or a bad thing for Bollywood?
It is always great if people are involved in our democracy. Bollywood has always had stars campaigning for their friends and parties. But this election season, two things have happened for the first time. No other government has used Bollywood like this government has and that has been a clever marketing strategy. It is not Bollywood getting political, it is the political establishment knowing how to use Bollywood very smartly. Whether it’s the interview with Akshay Kumar sir, or it is the selfies, or the film that got made.

The only difference I see in Bollywood is that earlier, actors never got publicly involved in tu-tu main-main about their political ideologies. Whether it is Anupam sir talking about Naseer sir or me commenting to a tweet on Anupam sir or talking about Paresh sir because he said something. Raveena Tandon ma’am is also very active, Richa (Chadha) is beautifully active. There are then some losers on the fringe of Bollywood who keep trolling me — that had never happened before. It is happening because our society is polarised and has a medium like social media to express that polarisation. Jaise hi country ka mauhal badlega, Bollywood will also settle down.

Like you said, the social media war and commenting on each other’s ideology has not been very elegant, do you think this will lead to a mature democracy or it will politicise the industry more than ever?
The industry is already politicised. You can see in terms of the appointments that are made, whether it is the FTII, the nature and composition of our censor board, or the way national awards are given. Every government puts its set of people in place. I don’t think Bollywood is relevant in the larger political discourse and scenario of our country.

But they have the power to influence voters…
Do we really though? I don’t think Bollywood influences voters who are on the fence, instead, it reaffirms the beliefs of people who are already on a particular side. Maybe, in the south it does. It definitely helps in perception building (of a candidate), so I think over time it does. Par maine suna hai ki 30-40,000 vote kisi actor ke aane se padh jaate hain. Someone told me that an actress was able to swing the votes by 30,000 in Bihar.

Do you think you can do this?
I think I can help the candidates make a stronger case for themselves. Instead of my star power, I can use my credibility because I am classified as a ‘thinking actor’— whatever that means. So, I can add credibility to the candidates. For example, someone like Amraram ji, got a lot more media attention because I campaigned for him (in Sikar), but I have no pretensions about swinging votes.

Were there any professional costs that you had to bear for actively taking part in politics at such an early point in your career?
I lost four brands after campaigning for Kanhaiya Kumar. They said they don’t want political people. I can understand because it’s election season and everyone is hyper. Brands don’t want to invest in someone who might attract anti comments. I am quite clearly for somebody and against somebody, or for a group and against a group. As far as a brand is concerned, everyone is in the market. You don’t want your audience to be divided. Also, I don’t see this as joining politics or leaving Bollywood. I am not taking a ticket and I don’t want a ticket. Even if someone offered me a ticket, I won’t take it.

Did someone offer you a ticket?
Well... no (laughs!). No comments on that. I don’t want a ticket. I am too young. I think I have at least 10-15 years to make that decision. But it would be nice to have some younger people in the Parliament.

A particular scene from Veere Di Wedding has also become political with many referencing to it while urging people to vote. What was your reaction to that?
I was surprised. I was like ek saal ho gaya film ko release hue. They thought that they were being clever, but it was just sexist. I was a little stung by the sexism. It was so crass, so tacky and what struck me was that they seemed like educated people. But, sexism unites everyone across political parties. Auraton ke mudde pe sab unite ho jaate hain gali dene ke liye. Whenever people troll me and it becomes something controversial, I always get this support from other social media groups. Mera bohot simple hai — you can disagree with me and you can hate me, but keep it civil. There is no point to this gaali-galoch.

Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; November 5, 2018)

In a synthetic world, actress Shweta Tiwari stands out. She doesn’t believe in any frills or giving politically-correct answers when you sit down for a chat with her. Last seen playing the lead in Begusarai, the actress took a break from work when she got pregnant and delivered a baby boy. After two years, Shweta is making her theatre debut with the play Jab We Separated. In an exclusive chat, the actress talks about her break, rumours of trouble in her marriage, becoming a mother again after a long gap and her daughter Palak’s debut in Bollywood. Excerpts...

It has been two years since you’ve been on a break. One does not see you on TV anymore..
I completed my shooting for Begusarai in June 2016. At that time, I was pregnant with Reyansh and did not want to take up any long term commitments. TV shows require long hours of shooting and being a new mother, it was not possible to be away from him for so long. But now, I have slowly started taking up work and felt that if there is a good subject which requires short-term commitment, why not? I am not watching television at all, so I am not sure if I like it or not. Also, television content hasn’t changed much from the time I did Kasautii Zindagi Kay… But again, I am not following any particular show, so I can’t be sure of that.

Talking of Kasauti… do you watch the second season? Are you happy that it was remade or do you feel hit TV shows should not be remade?
Ekta Kapoor is making the remake, so she will do justice to it. The first season ran for seven years and my character was very close to my heart. I like the second season, too. I have watched a few episodes and both Parth Samthaan and Erica Fernandes are good in the show. I really feel that remakes should be made only if they are made with passion and they connect with viewers again. If they don’t connect, then they should be left alone because Kasauti... was such a hit show that people were connected with it emotionally.

You are making your debut in theatre with a play that revolves around a fragile husband-wife relationship...
There may be many plays around the husband-wife relationship, but what matters is the treatment. About marriage, I feel that many marriages are breaking up these days because people have options of getting out of it. Divorce is easy these days. First it was taboo... women were dependent on their husbands and at home. Now, they are independent, educated and not suppressed. So somewhere, husbands are not able to accept this and women have also become less tolerant. They feel it is better to leave a relationship and move on to someone else. Our play revolves around that idea; how you need to find ways to be together even if there is trouble. These days, people feel that if they move on with someone else, they will find happiness. But even that relationship will require adjustment, compromise and good communication. So, if you can mend your ways and save your marriage, why move on with someone else? You can’t keep doing that again and again.

There were rumours of trouble in your marriage a few months back...
I will tell you what really happened. Abhinav’s father passed away the same year I got pregnant. Abhinav’s parents stayed in Bengaluru, so he had to stay there for some time before he could get his mother here. His father was a retired air force officer and his mother owned a publishing company. Abhinav required some time before he could wrap up everything and be in Mumbai with us. He stayed there for almost a year. Now, here people started noticing that I was going to parties alone and was not seen with him. Even after Reyansh was born, he used to come for some time and go back. So, people felt why are they not staying together? Some people had the nerve to even call me and ask, ‘Hey, is everything well in your marriage? We don’t see your husband with you.’ Now, why should I tell people what happened? People need gossip. I felt so weird that just because my husband was away for some time, people found a reason to gossip and therefore I decided to stop giving any explanations to anyone.

Do you feel that it is difficult to handle a relationship in modern times?
I feel both individuals need space and they should respect it and give it to each other if they wish to have it. I feel respect is important in a relationship and I find that lacking these days in couples. During our parents’ time, husbands used to happily compliment their wives and there was no sarcasm. Now, I see that a husband and wife are no longer part of the same team in public gatherings. Many times, the husband is passing a remark on the wife’s family or the wife finds an opportunity to pull him down and so on. This shows that somewhere, there is lack of communication and understanding, which is weakening the foundation of a beautiful relationship.

Your daughter Palak is going to debut in Bollywood...
I will allow her to do anything after she finishes her XII exams. I am not going to stop her from films, TV or even becoming a pilot because it is difficult or there is a lot of competition. She wants to do films and I am not stopping her.

You became a mother after a long gap. Does it get difficult the second time?
I had Palak when I was only 19 years old. I was a kid myself and I was also working that time, so my mother helped me bring her up. I hardly remember much about her childhood. Now, with Reyansh, I feel it is my first time as a mother. I am thoroughly enjoying it. I love doing everything for him. Though I have help, I do all the little things that a mother enjoys doing for the child. I even take him everywhere I travel for work. It is one of the most beautiful phases of my life.

No smoking, no phones, no wasting food... these are some of the rules on the sets of TV shows. Those who violate them have to pay a fine or treat the cast and crew
Saloni Bhatia (BOMBAY TIMES; March 12, 2015)

NO WASTING FOOD ON THIS SET
While people can't bring non-vegetarian food on some sets, on others, they have to finish all their food even if they're full. On the sets of Ek Rishta Aisa Bhi, the actors have come up with a rule that anyone found wasting food will have to pay a fine. Rahul Sharma, the male lead of the show, says, “We have a rule on the sets that we don't waste the food on our plates. If does so, they have to pay a fine of  Rs 100 and treat the entire cast and crew to cold drinks. In case the quantity of food wasted is large, the fine also increases. There were some actors who had to pay a heavy price for wasting food, because they were fined Rs 100 and were even asked to treat everyone to cold drinks. However, now, many have fallen in line because they don't like being penalised.“