'Tandav' row: I&B Ministry seeks explanation from Amazon Prime
What's the story
Amid the ongoing controversy around the Amazon Prime Video web series Tandav, the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has taken cognizance of the complaints against the show, reports said. The Ministry has summoned the company's officials and sought an explanation over allegations of hurting the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. Here are more details on this.
Complaint
BJP leader had urged Ministry to take action
This development comes after Bharatiya Janata Party leader Manoj Kotak wrote a letter to Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, asking him to ban the show for "ridiculing Hindu deities." Claiming many people are offended by the show, he said, "We've made a demand to Javadekar ji and have written to him to ban the web series immediately. The actors, producers and directors should apologize (sic)."
Details
Remove some portions of the show, says BJP MLA
Another politician, BJP MLA from Ghatkopar West, Ram Kadam, has also asked the makers of Tandav to remove the controversial portions of the show. As per reports, Kadam has filed a complaint at the suburban Ghatkopar Police station in this regard. However, the makers of the show are yet to respond to the Ministry, or to the allegations.
Case
Meanwhile, a case has been filed against the makers
Meanwhile, a case has also been filed against the makers of the series at Lucknow's Hazratganj Police station, NDTV reports. "There is no tolerance for playing with people's sentiments in Yogi Adityanath's Uttar Pradesh (sic)," said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's media adviser Shalabh Mani Tripathi. "Prepare for arrest," he wrote on Twitter while sharing a copy of the First Information Report (FIR).
Twitter Post
Here is a copy of the FIR filed in UP
FIR registered against director, writer of web series '#Tandav' in Hazratganj police station, Lucknow [AIR News] pic.twitter.com/gapy1pIzLz
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) January 18, 2021
Controversy
What was the controversial scene all about?
A scene where actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub plays a stage performer appearing as Lord Shiva in Tandav, has landed the show in trouble. The makers have been accused of indecent portrayal and mockery of Hindu deities. Many social media users have called for a ban on the show. #BoycottTandav and #BanTandavNow have been heavily trending on social media.
Information
The IMDb rating of the show also dropped
After landing into controversy, the show has been slammed with low ratings and poor reviews on the movie rating platform IMDb. Reportedly, around 75% of users have given 1-star rating to the show. The overall rating of the show currently stands at 3.5/10 stars.
Show
What is the show all about?
Created and directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, the show revolves around power and politics in today's times. The nine-episode series stars actors Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Kritika Kamra, Sarah Jane Dias, Sunil Grover, and Tigmanshu Dhulia, among others. The show premiered on January 15 on Amazon Prime Video, and has received mixed reviews from critics and viewers.