Swara Bhasker recalls drunk director knocking on her door, asking for hug: 'I was scared'

Actor Swara Bhasker has recalled an unsettling experience from the early years of her career, saying a film director behaved inappropriately with her after the success of Tanu Weds Manu. Speaking on Rise & Fall 2, Swara said the filmmaker began sending her poetry about her appearance before insisting that she rehearse a romantic scene with him privately. She said the situation left her frightened, particularly after she realised that the director and cinematographer had been drinking.

Swara Bhasker recalls director insisting on private rehearsal

Swara Bhasker was speaking to fellow contestants Priyanka Chahar Chaudhary and Tej Pratap Yadav when she recalled the incident. She said it happened shortly after Tanu Weds Manu, in which she played a supporting role, became successful.

Recalling how the director initially interacted with her, Swara said, "This was just after Tanu Weds Manu. My big lead film. It was a film that I was the heroine of, and we had to shoot for 56 days. First, he told me that directors must love their actors. Then he started texting me poetry about my looks. I was polite about it."

The situation became uncomfortable when the director wanted her to rehearse a romantic scene without the rest of the team present. Swara said she questioned why the actor and camera team were not being included in the rehearsal.

"I said, 'Who all are there for the rehearsal?' He said, 'You and me, we'll discuss.' I said, 'No. You call the actor, you call the camera person. If it is a rehearsal, everyone should do it. Why should we do it alone?'" Swara recalled.

The actor said she was the only woman at the guesthouse where they were staying. She later noticed that the director and cinematographer had been drinking. Swara said the situation made her extremely uncomfortable.

"Later, I saw the director and cinematographer drinking, and their bottle was half empty. I mean, can you imagine? Why is a young woman, a girl in her early 20s, rehearsing with two drunk men? I was so scared, I left that place as soon as possible."

Swara Bhasker says director came knocking on her door

According to Swara Bhasker, the incident did not end after she left the rehearsal. She said the filmmaker later came to her room at night while drunk and asked her for a hug.

"It did not end there. At night, he's constantly knocking on my door; I thought he would break it. When I opened it, he was swaying and asking me for a hug," she said.

"I said, no, you cannot get a hug. He kept slurring and pushing for it. I told him to his face that he's scaring me. I couldn't do anything more; he's the director of the film."

Swara did not name the filmmaker or the film while recounting the incident.

What is Rise & Fall 2?

Rise & Fall 2 features contestants divided into two groups, Workers and Rulers, who compete for power and survival. The Workers live in the Basement with limited resources and take part in challenges in the hope of moving up to the Penthouse and becoming Rulers.

The Rulers, meanwhile, live in the Penthouse and control resources while making key decisions that can affect the Workers. The contestants can move between the two levels through the Lift, while the Red Room is where major decisions are made and the Factory hosts some of the show's key challenges.

Swara is currently among the rulers.

Swara Bhasker made her acting debut with Madholal Keep Walking in 2009 and gained wider recognition with Tanu Weds Manu in 2011. She subsequently appeared in films including Raanjhanaa, Tanu Weds Manu Returns, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo and Veere Di Wedding.

In 2023, Swara married political activist Fahad Ahmad. The couple has a daughter, Raabiyaa.