I&B ministry summons Amazon Prime India officials after controversy over Tandav

The information and broadcasting ministry has summoned Amazon Prime’s India officials after a controversy erupted over the recently-launched web series Tandav, news agency ANI reported on Sunday, after several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders criticised it for hurting Hindu religious sentiments.

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BJP leader Ram Kadam on Sunday lodged a police complaint against the makers and actors of the web series featuring actors Saif Ali Khan and Dimple Kapadia among others. Kadam alleged that there were dialogues between the characters in the web series where Hindu deity Lord Shiva has been ridiculed. The West Ghatkopar MLA demanded that the series should remove the part as it hurts the sentiments of people. “Filed complaint against Tandav Web Series at Ghatkopar police station. Police has assured quick investigation, FIR under Sec 295A of IPC, Section 67A of IT Act & Atrocities Act. Producer, Director, Writer, Actors & Amazon to be summoned soon,” Kadam tweeted.

BJP parliamentarian from Maharashtra Manoj Kotak also said that the creators of the web series must apologise for hurting sentiments of the people. He also claimed that there were ‘concerted efforts’ to portray Hindu deities ‘in poor light’. Demanding a ban on the web series, the Mumbai Northeast MP also wrote to the information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar.

“We have made a demand to Javadekar ji and have written to him to ban the web series immediately. The actors, producers and directors should apologise for hurting sentiments. Different organisations and individuals have complained that Hindu Gods and Goddesses have been ridiculed in 'Tandav' web series. Comments have been passed about them,” the lawmaker was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Kotak also blamed the platforms for encouraging ‘violence, drugs, abuse, hate and vulgarity’ while highlighting that the content in these platforms is ‘full of sex’.

Tandav is a political drama written by Gaurav Solanki and is directed, written and created by Ali Abbas Zafar and Himanshu Kishan Mehra.