By: Entertainment DeskNew Delhi | September 26, 2025 12:54 PM IST 3 min readActor Swara Bhasker, who is attempting to restart her career after being shadow-banned by several producers and brands, and becoming a mother, revisited the controversy that her film Raanjhana created. The movie was criticised for glorifying stalking, and Swara claimed that neither she nor the others involved in the project had any idea about the problematic aspects of the film until the trailer launch event. She promptly warned the film’s writer, Himanshu Sharma, and director, Aanand L Rai, to not address the topic at all during the promotional tour. She also mentioned the other films that follow similar tropes in an effort to appeal to India’s male audience.In an interview with Hauterrfly, Swara admitted that she didn’t recognise the issues with Raanjhana while she was making it, but said that it follows the most tried-and-tested trope in Indian storytelling: showing the pain of a victimised man. She said, “While we were doing Raanjhana, we also didn’t realise… Himanshu is a very talented writer. His script was so funny, and nobody noticed. I definitely didn’t. I remember the first time I realised it was at the trailer launch. One journalist asked this question; it was a man, and he spoke in English. Nobody understood. Then I came back and told Himanshu and Anand sir, ‘Don’t fall for this, and don’t start defending stalking. Avoid this conversation altogether’. It was a big hit.”Also read – Anupam Kher says he was ‘depressed’ after Saiyaara ‘wiped out’ his film Tanvi the Great: ‘It depressed me, made me feel very sad’Calling out other hit films for having the same flaws, she said, “Can I tell you, 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)! Just look at all our hits. Raanjhana; 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).”Directed by Mohit Suri, Saiyaara is the breakout Hindi hit of 2025. The movie featured Aneet Padda and Ahaan Panday, and grossed more than Rs 500 crore at the worldwide box office. The film’s success was noted as a return for the romance genre, after a few years dominated by action hits.Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd