‘Tandav’ controversy: Amazon series faces ban requests in India

‘Tandav’ controversy: Amazon series faces ban requests in India

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Authorities are investigating allegations that Amazon’s new Prime Video series “Tandav” includes religiously insensitive content. Several Indian politicians say they have complained to the police or regulators about the company and the creators of the program.

The title is a political drama that has been compared to success Netflix (NFLX) “House of Cards” series. It was released last Friday on Amazon’s streaming service and boasts some of Bollywood’s biggest names, including famous director Ali Abbas Zafar and actor Saif Ali Khan.

The show follows a power-hungry politician who is willing to do anything to become the country’s prime minister. It is loosely based on real political controversies that have arisen across the country with the growth of Hindu nationalism.

The representation of the program by some Hindu deities, however, drew the ire of local lawmakers. Manoj Kotak, MP in Mumbai, said Sunday on Twitter that he wrote to the country’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting, urging him to “ban [the] controversial web series. ”

Kotak, who is a member of the Hindu nationalist party Bharatiya Janata (BJP), said the program’s creators appeared to be “deliberately mocking the Hindu gods”.

CNN Business has requested comments from Amazon and Zafar, the series director, but has yet to receive a response.

Authorities intervene

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which announced its intention to start regulating streaming services, said on Monday that it had contacted Amazon executives about the program.

“There will be a discussion about this,” a spokesman told CNN Business.

The series caused other lawmakers to go to the police. Ram Kadam, another BJP leader and local lawmaker in the state of Maharashtra, said he filed a complaint to the police in Mumbai over the weekend, accusing Amazon of intending to “outrage religious feelings” and publish “material that could cause damages “.

Local police confirmed that they had received Kadam’s complaint, but had not yet started an investigation.

Police launched a separate investigation in Uttar Pradesh state on Sunday against Zafar, as well as Aparna Purohit, head of Amazon’s Prime Video’s original Indian content, according to a media consultant for the chief minister of state.
The series has also been hit by negative reviews on Amazon, which claim that the program promotes a “Hindu-phobic agenda” or appears as “anti-Hindu”.

A critical market

India is a crucial market for Amazon. This month, a company executive called the country “one of the most exciting streaming markets in the world right now.”

During the pandemic, the company “doubled our investment in films in this period,” Gaurav Gandhi, director and general manager of Amazon Prime Video in India, told Deadline in a recent interview.

The original content is the key to this strategy, with more than 80 titles in production or development, Purohit told the outlet.

This is not the first time that Amazon has problems with India.

The e-commerce and technology giant had to remove products that offend customers from its website, such as a doormat bearing the Indian flag or a skateboard bearing an image of the Hindu god Ganesha. (Critics said that selling these products was disrespectful, because it involved putting your feet on revered or religious symbols.)
The “Tandav” incident is also reminiscent of a recent encounter with Netflix (NFLX) in India. Last year, the streaming giant faced boycott calls in the country over a now-infamous kissing scene on one of its shows.

The exchange, which takes place in the series “A suitable boy”, depicts a young Hindu being kissed by a Muslim in a Hindu temple. The program angered some viewers in India, prompting a police complaint against Netflix executives.

Netflix declined to comment on Monday about the current status of this complaint. A police officer told CNN Business that the investigation was ongoing.

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The news comes at a delicate time for streaming services in the country. Last fall, the Indian government announced new rules for digital media, saying online streaming platforms would be regulated by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

This could force companies like Amazon and Netflix to follow the same restrictions as traditional media, such as rules on the display of violence or nudity.

– CNN’s Vedika Sud contributed to this report.

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