Swara Bhasker says she is tired of her ‘dabang’ reputation: ‘It gets me into trouble unnecessarily’

Swara Bhasker is in a mood to shift gears. After years of successfully playing fey, independent characters, the actor wants to dabble in something that’s the antonym of her on-screen image: a docile, subservient woman.
Swara got the opportunity to flip the perception with her latest, Jahaan Chaar Yaar, where she plays Shivangi—a shy, vulnerable woman, who seeks permission from her husband for everything she does.
The actor said when she was approached for the film, writer director Kamal Pandey had offered her another part. But Swara, known for her acclaimed performances in films like Tanu Weds Manu, Raanjhanaa and Nil Battey Sannata, wanted to shake things up.
Watch Jahaan Chaar Yaar trailer here: 

“I told him that I’m tired of this ‘dabang’ reputation of mine. I’m fed up of this reputation, which only gets me into trouble unnecessarily. I asked him to offer me a character which is the most shy among the four roles. The kind who does everything after asking her husband, be it stepping out of the house or cooking.
“This is something I have never done in my life, because I obviously don’t have a husband, and I haven’t even sought permission for this from my father. So I got an opportunity to do something which I have never done in my life. It’s a beautiful character,” Swara Bhasker said during the trailer launch of her film Jahaan Chaar Yaar.
Backed producer Vinod Bachchan, Jahaan Chaar Yaar follows four middle class women, who, to break the monotony of their lives, head to Goa. “Little do they know that a life changing set of thrills and tws await them in the party capital,” the official synopsis of the film reads. The movie also stars Shikha Talsania, Meher Vij and Pooja Chopra.
Some photos from Jahaan Chaar Yaar trailer launch: 
(Photo: Varinder Chawla)
(Photo: Varinder Chawla)
(Photo: Varinder Chawla)
(Photo: Varinder Chawla)
Swara Bhasker said while she enjoys playing empowered, fearless women on screen, she was craving to break the mould and attempt something new with Jahaan Chaar Yaar.
“I do like ‘dabang’ characters. My character in Tanu Weds Manu was a vocal, opinionated woman. Even the one in Raanjhanaa had a lot of personality. In Nil Battey Sannata, there was a strong mother while Anaarkali of Aarah had a fiery character. Even Veere Di Wedding featured a fearless woman, who lives on her own terms.
“As an actor, you want to do new things. Every role is a learning. If I’m not learning, it’ll reflect on my performance. I won’t be able to do anything new and my craft would stagnate. Shivangi is someone I haven’t played before,” she added.
Jahaan Chaar Yaar is set to release theatrically on September 16. At the event, Swara Bhasker was asked about the growing concern that films aren’t working at the box office. The actor said she looks at the current situation positively, where movies across languages are managing to click with the audience.
“I don’t agree that films are not working. A hype has been created around it. Films are working. Films in all languages are doing well. We should look at it positively. Interestingly, even dubbed films are working, which is fantastic. I don’t think films are not working.
“We are bracketing them as Tamil, Telugu… Why? These are stories that people are going to watch. Definitely the time has changed, which isn’t bad. Change is good. The audience’s taste has diversified. They’re no longer thinking this is Tamil, Telugu or Hindi. They’re looking at it holically, and finding content. There can’t be a better thing than this for the entertainment industry,” she added.