Veteran Bollywood actor Puneet Issar has weighed in on the controversy surrounding actress Swara Bhasker's remarks in which she described feeling 'ashamed as a Hindu' following the 2019 Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi verdict. Issar, speaking to reporters on 21 September, urged artists to stay out of political controversies and focus on their craft.

What Puneet Issar Said

The actor, widely known for his role in the iconic television epic Mahabharat, said that artists bear a responsibility toward the country's 140 crore people and their primary duty is to entertain. He cautioned against making inflammatory public statements for the sake of media attention or personal benefit.

'First of all, one should not get involved in such controversies. We are artists. We should take care of our 140 crore people. Your job is to entertain. You just entertain. You just perform. If you want to be a social activist, if you want to go into politics, then you should do that,' Issar said.

He went further, implying that external funding or support could be motivating certain remarks: 'Just to get into news, or if someone is supporting you, or if someone is funding you, and you follow someone for your personal gain, and give such a shocking statement, I think that is in very bad taste. That should not be done.'

What Swara Bhasker Had Said

The controversy stems from a recent podcast appearance by actress Swara Bhasker, best known for Tanu Weds Manu, in which she stated that she felt 'really ashamed as a Hindu' after the Supreme Court's 2019 Ayodhya verdict. She described the ruling as unfair and said she reached out to several Muslim acquaintances — including Bollywood stars Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Salman Khan — to apologise and express her disagreement with the court's decision.

The Broader Debate

Bhasker's comments have reignited a long-running debate in Bollywood over the role of artists as public voices on sensitive political and religious matters. Critics argue that celebrities who take strong positions on divisive religious issues risk deepening societal fault lines, while supporters contend that public figures have a democratic right — and even an obligation — to speak their conscience.

This is not the first time Bhasker has courted controversy with political commentary. She has previously been vocal on a range of issues related to civil liberties and minority rights, drawing both praise and sharp criticism from different sections of the public.

Context and Significance

The 2019 Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute was a landmark ruling that paved the way for the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The temple was subsequently inaugurated in January 2024. The judgment remains a deeply emotive subject, with strong opinions across religious and political lines. Celebrity reactions to it — particularly from the Hindi film industry — continue to generate significant public attention.

As the debate over artistic responsibility and free expression persists, both Issar's remarks and Bhasker's original comments are likely to remain talking points in the ongoing conversation about where the line between personal opinion and public influence should be drawn.