Actress Urwa Hocane slams Swara Bhasker for contradictory views on Pakistan

Actress Swara Bhasker is no stranger to controversies. Earlier this year, the actress was highly criticised for her open letter to Sanjay Leela Bhansali over the depiction of jauhar in Padmaavat (2018). Now, time the actress is drawing flak from across the border. Pakistani actress Urwa Hocane has slammed Bhasker for her comments on Pakistan during a recent interview to promote Veere Di Wedding.

Veere Di Wedding review: Some fun, lots of chaos

Urwa shared clips from the interview of the Veere Di Wedding cast with film critic Rajeev Masand, where Bhasker criticised Pakistan, and contrasted it with another 2015 video of Bhasker's interview on a Pakistani channel where she praised the country for its hospitality. 

“After coming to Pakistan, I realised that, a nation that is always considered an enemy state, is not at all like that. I’ve got a lot of love from here. I have travelled across London,  New York, Istanbul, Paris, everything fails in comparision to Lahore," Bhasker is heard saying in the 2015 interview. 

Come 2018, the actress's views have changed. Her latest release Veere Di Wedding was banned in Pakistan with the country's Central Board of Film Censors deeming its dialogues 'vulgar'. 

“What do you expect from a state run by Sharia laws. They are an unsecular state. What were you thinking! I’m not surprised at all  Why should we hold up Pakistan, which is like a failing state... I don’t understand why do we keep taking pleasure and self worth from the all the silly things that is happening in Pakistan," Bhasker said in the recent interview. 

Urwa also pointed out how Bhasker had, in 2015, praised Pakistanis for their mannerism and polite way of communication. However, it seems today she is not happy with the country's vocabulary too, “And I can rest assure you that Pakistanis have way worse vocabulary then we do,” she was heard saying in the latest interview.

Urwa posted a series of tweets slamming the Indian actress for her contradictory statements. 

“Pakistan is the country that you @ReallySwara referred to, in 2015, as the 'Best country you have ever visited' and it has only gotten better in the last few years in every aspect along with when it comes to having bigger hearts and welcoming our guests,” Urwa tweeted.

The Pakistani actress also criticised Bhasker for having become bitter and, citing the example of Padmaavat (2018), pointed out that India bans its own films. 

“While you’re on this spree of empowering women,i must say you’ve become a bitter person. And all of this is odd coming from a citizen of a state that bans their own films i.e. #Padmavat so let’s not talk about women empowerment.”

It must be pointed out that India's Central Board of Film Certification, had not banned Padmaavat. The film was boycotted by a few fringe Rajput groups. Despite the court's order against the ban, exhibitors in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and parts of Haryana refrained from screening the film fearing violence from fringe groups.

Urwa further stated that Bhasker failed as a human being, “This only reflects on u as an ignorant person who is also quiet contradictory in her own statements. It’s not a failing state for sure but u come across as a 'Failing Human Being' ! @ReallySwara”,

While it looks like this storm won't settle for a while, Bhasker hasn’t responded to Urwa's criticism yet.