Tandav row: Govt summons Amazon Prime executives

The ministry took the action after there were allegations that the show, Tandav, hurt religious sentiments, the official said.

The information and broadcasting ministry has sought an explanation from Amazon Prime after a controversy broke out over a recently released web-series, officials familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Manoj Kotak wrote to I&B minister Prakash Javadekar seeking a ban on the series for allegedly ridiculing Hindu deities.

The ministry took the action after there were allegations that the show, Tandav, hurt religious sentiments, the official said.

“The ministry has called executives of the video streaming service and decided to seek an explanation from them over the matter,” the official said.

Earlier in the day, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Manoj Kotak wrote to I&B minister Prakash Javadekar seeking a ban on the series for allegedly ridiculing Hindu deities. “Different organisations and individuals have complained that Hindu Gods and Goddesses have been ridiculed in ‘Tandav’ web series. Comments have been passed about them,” Kotak said.

Officials from Amazon Prime Video told newsagency PTI that the platform “won’t be responding” to media queries on the matter. Tandav, starring actors Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Sunil Grover, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Dino Morea, Kumud Mishra, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, Gauhar Khan and Kritika Kamra, premiered on the streaming platform on Friday.