Swara Bhaskar: “When Abuse Gets Normalized, It’s Time For All Of Us To Think”

Actor-activist Swara Bhaskar took on a social-media hate-monger Shubham Mishra  when his filthy porn-moralistic video threatening to rape stand-up comedian  Agrima  Joshua went viral. The self-appointed  guradian of Maharashatra’s cultural supremacy was booked  and arrested, all thanks to  Swara’s constant  campaigning.

“It’s not just me. There were  others  like Kunal Kamra. No sane  person can endorse this  kind of vile filthy rape culture in the garb  of   respecting  a  political leader,” says Swara  angrily.

In Swara’s opinion  Ms Joshua had not  insulted  the  Maharashtrian political leader at  all.  “If you look at the offending  video  she  has not said anything about Chatrapati Shivaji Maharajji. The joke on on obsessive  devotees  arguing  about a statue being put up in the Arabian sea.And even  if  the joke is offensive  to some,  there’s a civil legal  way of dealing with it. Going on a  filthy rampage against  the  comedian threatening her with gangrape …this a  symptom  of  the  culture of  sickening intimidation  that has taken over  the  social media.  It must stop!”

What worried Swara  is  the support that such  porn-moralists get . “If you go to the comments section  of  Shubham Mishra’s Instagram account there are so  many  people who approve  of  his  behaviour, so many   still spewing  filthy  hatred  at  Agrima, who, by the  way  was  standing in  for a colleague on stage in a café when that show with the  offending  joke happened.”

The hater has  now retracted, taken down  his offending video and  issued an  apology.

Aska Swara, “What  kind of an apology is that?? He says never threatened anyone with rape? Are we looking at   a culture   of  minds so criminal they would have the world believe  they are innocent victims?’

 Swara  feels the culture  of  perverse  intimidation has  been normalized through the  support it gets from certain section. “It is  important to  acknowledge  that  abuse  in the name  of  political and  religious righteousness is  being normalized  in our country. This  must stop.”

 Swara’s  new web series Rashbhari faced  the wrath of  a section of  the netizens who  habitually oppose  her political  ideology. Does she think her activism will affect her film career?

“I hope not!” she shoots back. “I can’t be silenced   by aggressive trolls who feel it is their birthright to threaten women with rape  if they don’t comply with the so-called normal rules  of  public  conduct.”