In her open letter published on The Wire, Swara had questioned whether women - widowed, old, young, raped, pregnant, and pre-pubescent - have the right to live.

While she had started her message on a congratulatory note for the performances and grandeur, Swara moved on to criticising Bhansali for making her feel "like a vagina only" after watching 'Padmaavat'.

Swara had twitted the link to her open letter where she praised the actors and film's beauty.

I loved the performances by all the actors in #Padmaavat - The film is seductive in its grandeur, scale, beauty, power of its actors's performances, music, design, vision... and therein lies the problem! Some thoughts.. sorry abt the length 🙈🙈🙈https://t.co/0hYnvlAvAD

— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) January 27, 2018

She had written, "I felt like all the 'minor' achievements that women and women's movements have made over the years - like the right to vote, the right to own property, the right to education, equal pay for equal work, maternity leave, the Vishakha judgment, the right to adopt children... All of it was pointless; because we were back to basics".

She had questioned the "uncomfortable" climax scene where Rani Padmavati, portrayed by Deepika Padukone, self-immolates herself along with a group of other women after attackers barge into their kingdom after winning over their men, albeit unethically.

She had concluded the letter with addressing Bhansali and writing, "Your cinema particularly is inspiring, evocative and powerful. It can move audiences to emotional highs and lows. It can influence thinking and that, sir, is why you must be responsible as to what it is you are doing and saying in your film".

She had signed off her letter as "Swara Bhaskar, Desirous of Life".