Full Monty on Bigg Boss draws Govt’s ire

The I&B Ministry has asked Colors entertainment channel to explain why it did not censor a scene where two female participants pulled down the shorts of Raju Srivastava, another participant, and also provided the footage to news channels.

Reality show Bigg Boss-Season 3, anchored by Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan, is in trouble.

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The Information & Broadcasting Ministry on Monday asked Colors entertainment channel to explain why it did not censor a scene where two participants — Aditi Gowitrikar and Tanaz Irani — pulled down the shorts of Raju Srivastava, another participant, and also provided the footage to news channels.

The ministry has asked the channel to reply by Friday or else face action, which includes suspension of the transmission or a ban for a certain period.

After the ministry’s intervention, news channels stopped showing the clip, which was repeatedly played on Sunday.

“The clip had evoked a strong reaction,” said a senior I&B ministry official requesting anonymity. “Social groups and political leaders have objected to this semi-nudity on TV.”

The ministry has the power to suspend transmission or ban a channel found violating the programme code, which lists dos and don’ts for the television industry. Colors has already been issued three notices and two advisories for violation of the code since it got approval on June 12, 2008.

“We are yet to receive the notice. We have taken all measures to ensure our programme Bigg Boss-Season 3 is in compliance with the program code and we meticulously beep out any abusive language used by participants keeping in mind the sensitivity of the audience,” a Colors spokesperson said.