Bollywood singer Kumar Sanu’s son’s remarks on Marathi on Big Boss show upset Shiv Sena, MNS

Bigg Boss contestant Jaan Kumar Sanu’s comment “against Marathi language” led to furore on Wednesday, with the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) threatening

Bigg Boss contestant Jaan Kumar Sanu’s comment “against Marathi language” led to furore on Wednesday, with the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) threatening to stop the filming of the reality show. While Sena also demanded the show’s shooting permit be cancelled, home minister Anil Deshmukh said the state was contemplating legal action after receiving a

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complaint. Viacom 18 Media Private Limited, which runs Colors, the channel on which the show is aired, issued an apology, stating it respects all languages and has taken note of objections and taken corrective measures of removing the objectionable part from all future broadcasts.

In an episode on the show aired on October 27, Jaan, the son of Bollywood playback singer Kumar Sanu, is seen deriding his fellow contestant who spoke in Marathi, saying she should not speak in Marathi in front of him. He is seen telling her he gets irritated with the language and if she has the courage, she should speak in Hindi. HT contacted Kumar Sanu, but he refused to comment on the issue.

In a tweet, Shiv Sena secretary and head of the party’s Chitrapat Sena Aadesh Bandekar said, “Bigg Boss showrunners and the person [Jaan Kumar Sanu] must immediately apologise to Maharashtra and the people of Maharashtra. The person should be immediately evicted [from the show]... Maharashtra government should withdraw shooting permission of those who indulge in defaming the state.”

Shiv Sena spokesperson and legislator Pratap Sarnaik said the show was shot in Maharashtra and earns TRPs through the state and contestants who defame Marathi language will not be tolerated. “If the son of Kumar Sanu, who made his career living in Maharashtra, is disrespecting Marathi, it will not be tolerated,” Sarnaik said in a tweet.

MNS film workers’ union chief Ameya Khopkar said the MNS would not allow Bigg Boss to be filmed if both Jaan and the channel did not apologise within 24 hours.

“We will see how Jaan gets work in Mumbai. Anyone who hates Marathi should get out of Maharashtra.”

Viacom 18 Media Private Limited, in the apology issued to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, said: “We hereby apologise if we have inadvertently hurt the feelings of the people of Maharashtra due to the broadcast of the same comment in relation to Marathi language.”

After the statement, Sarnaik said they have accepted the apology and shown both Jaan and their channel “their place”, while Khopkar said he was not convinced and want them to apologise on their show.

Later in the evening, Viacom 18 also tendered an apology to MNS chief Raj Thackeray in Marathi.