Hitler Didi, the title of Zee TV's new show, has angered a leading organisation ADL that fights anti-Semitism in the US, which has demanded renaming of the programme. In a statement, ADL said it has received numerous complaints about the title.
Hitler Didi, the title of Zee TV's new show, has angered a leading organisation ADL that fights anti-Semitism in the US, which has demanded renaming of the programme.
"The name Hitler doesn't belong in the title of a soap opera, and we think the producers of this program have made a terrible error in judgment that can only be remedied with a title change," said Abraham H Foxman, Anti Defamation League (ADL) national director and a holocaust survivor.
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The show, starring the actress Rati Pandey, premiered on November 7 on Zee TV in India and is also being carried on the network's affiliates in other countries, including the US. The title refers to a young woman in the show who is known for being strict.
In a statement, ADL said it has received numerous complaints about the title and its use in online promotional materials and videos. Last week, they wrote to network executives with the request to change the name to one "not freighted with the taint of the Nazi Holocaust".
"Let's preserve the name 'Hitler' as a villain of incomparable evil and not trivialize his legacy or the Holocaust with a serial TV title," ADL wrote in a letter to Punit Goenka, managing director & CEO, and Subhash Chandra, chairman of Zee Entertainment.
"We strongly urge you to reconsider the choice of title and rename your show," ADL said.
When contacted, the channel sources confirmed that they have received a letter from ADL, adding, they are yet to take a call on it.
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