‘Tandav’ controversy: Amazon series faces calls for ban in India

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Authorities are reviewing claims that Amazon’s new Prime Video series “Tandav” includes content insensitive to religion. Several Indian politicians say they complained to police or company regulators and the show’s creators.

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

The show follows a power-hungry politician who will do anything to become the country’s prime minister. It is loosely based on genuine political controversies that erupted across the country as Hindu nationalism developed.

The portrayal of some Hindu deities in the series, however, aroused the ire of local lawmakers. Manoj Kotak, MP in Mumbai, said On Twitter Sunday, 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 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said the show’s creators appeared to “be deliberately mocking the Hindu gods.”

CNN Business has asked for comments from Amazon and Zafar, the show’s director, but has yet to receive a response.

The authorities intervene

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

“There will be a discussion on this,” a spokesperson told CNN Business.

The series has prompted other lawmakers to surrender to the police. Ram Kadam, another BJP leader and local lawmaker in Maharashtra state, said he filed a complaint with police in Mumbai over the weekend, accusing Amazon of intending to “scandalize feelings religious “and to publish” material that may cause harm. “

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

Police opened a separate investigation in the state of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday against Zafar, as well as Aparna Purohit, head of Amazon’s Indian original content, according to a media advisor for the Chief Minister of State.
The series has also been struck by negative reviews on Amazon, who claim that the show promotes a “Hindu-phobic agenda” or comes across as “anti-Hindu”.

A critical market

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

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

Original content is key to this strategy, with over 80 titles in production or in development, Purohit told the store.

This is not the first time that Amazon has encountered hot water in India.

The e-commerce and tech giant has had to remove products from its site that offend customers, such as a doormat displaying the Indian flag or a skateboard featuring an image of the Hindu god Ganesha. (Critics have said that selling such products is disrespectful, as they involved placing their feet on revered or religious symbols.)
The “Tandav” incident also recalls a recent meeting with Netflix (NFLX) in India. Last year, the streaming giant faced boycott calls across the country for a now infamous kissing scene on one of its shows.

The exchange, which takes place in the series, “A Suitable Boy,” features a young Hindu woman kissed by a Muslim in a Hindu temple. The show angered some viewers in India, prompting a police complaint against Netflix executives.

Netflix declined to comment on the current status of this complaint on Monday. A police official told CNN Business the investigation is ongoing.

Netflix faces boycott calls in India for 'a suitable boy' kiss scene
The news comes at a sensitive time for streaming services in the country. Last fall, the Indian government announced new rules for digital media, claiming that 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 violence or nudity.

– CNN’s Vedika Sud contributed to this report.



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