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NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Amazon.com’s streaming service Prime Video on Tuesday presented a rare apology to its Indian viewers for some scenes from its original political drama series “Tandav”, which allegedly offended Hindu religious beliefs.
“Tandav”, a Hindi word meaning “fury”, features the best actors in Bollywood. In several states, he has faced police complaints and lawsuits, alleging that the show depicted Hindu gods and goddesses in derogatory ways and offended religious beliefs. Lawmakers from India’s ruling nationalist party Bharatiya Janata also criticized him.
In a statement titled “Amazon Prime Video Apologizes,” the company said on Tuesday it deeply regrets that viewers regard certain scenes as objectionable.
Amazon apologizes “unconditionally to anyone who has felt hurt,” he said, adding that it will continue to develop content while respecting the diversity of culture and public beliefs.
The “Tandav” controversy escalated last week when police in northern Uttar Pradesh state questioned one of Amazon’s executives for hours in a case filed against the show.
Asked about the company’s apology, a senior state police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said authorities would continue to investigate the case.
Shows on streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime have often been the subject of complaints in India for obscenity or offensive beliefs, but the latest controversy involving Amazon’s show “Tandav” is among the most high-profile cases .
An Indian media and entertainment industry executive said Amazon’s apology was unprecedented and showed that large US conglomerates can capitulate to political or cultural demands. The executive spoke on condition of anonymity.
In January 2020, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos attended a Prime Video event in Mumbai with Bollywood stars and announced he would double his investments. He said Prime Video is doing well in the world “but nowhere does it do better than India”.
India is a critical growth market for Amazon, where it has committed $ 6.5 billion in investments, with interests in e-commerce, video streaming, cloud computing and other areas.
Amazon is currently facing calls for a ban after Reuters reported last month that the U.S. company had for years given preferential treatment to a small group of sellers on its Indian website and used them to circumvent strict regulations in the country’s foreign investment.
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