New Delhi: The information and broadcasting ministry has decided to seek an explanation from Amazon Prime over “objectionable” content in the recently launched web series Tandav.

The ministry, sources said, was seized of the matter and decided to take action on the back of complaints by BJP legislators who alleged the series’ content had “insulted Hindu gods and goddesses”. “The government is seized of the matter and has decided to seek an explanation from Amazon Prime representatives,” a ministry official said.

Online content, as yet unregulated, was brought under the purview of the I&B ministry last month and a mechanism to regulate OTT content is being worked on.

While this is not the first time OTT content has drawn the ire of the public and legislators for showing “offensive” content, this is one of the first instances where the government has taken cognisance of complaints against a series and decided to seek an explanation from the OTT platform hosting the programme.

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New Delhi: Makers of the controversial web series ‘Tandav’ on Monday issued an unconditional apology for the “offensive” content of the programme and said the cast and crew had no intention to offend any religion or religious beliefs, nor outrage any institution or political party.

A detailed statement was issued by the series’ producer Himanshu Kishan Mehra and its director Ali Abbas Zafar on Twitter, hours after representatives of Amazon Prime Video held a virtual meeting with officials of the I&B ministry.

The web series ran into controversy soon after its release on Amazon Prime on Friday after BJP legislators filed complaints claiming that the series had “insulted Hindu gods and goddesses”.

The I&B ministry stepped in and sought an explanation from Amazon Prime Video representatives. Ministry officials said the virtual meeting was held on Monday afternoon, and the unconditional apology from the makers of the web series followed soon after.

The developments put the spotlight, once again, on lack of regulation of online content, especially that available on Over The Top (OTT) platforms like Amazon, Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar among others, which has seen several shows running into trouble with audiences and authorities.

Sources in the ministry said while the Centre was keen that the industry should selfregulate instead of the government having to act as a “censor”, there is a view that OTT platforms should be brought under a broad set of guidelines as well as an independent regulator, like the Press Council of India is for the print industry and the Indian Broadcasting Federation is for the TV industry.

Online content was brought within the purview of the I&B ministry in December and the government is currently working on a mechanism to regulate OTT content.

Times View: Several parties have raised objections to the web series on the grounds that it hurts community and caste sentiments. But this also raises the vital question: how does a film or a web series depict social reality or satirize anything while being politically correct? Every scene involving caste or religion need not be interpreted as an insult to a community. 

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Bareilly/Lucknow: Following controversies over web series ‘Tandav’, a case for defamation and hurting religious sentiments was registered against Bollywood writer-director Ali Abbas Zafar and actors Saif Ali Khan and Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub on a complaint by BJP MLA Veer Vikram Singh at Katra police station in UP’s Shahjahanpur on Monday.

A four-member police team from Lucknow left for Mumbai on Monday to investigate into another FIR lodged at Lucknow’s Hazratganj police station against the producers of web series for “promoting enmity on grounds of religion”.

Meanwhile, wading into the controversy, BSP chief Mayawati also demanded that scenes to which objections have been raised, should be removed to maintain peace in the country.

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Varanasi: An FIR has been lodged against the producers of the web series Mirzapur and the OTT platform Amazon Prime Video at Mirzapur Kotwali (Dehat) police station for allegedly hurting religious and social sentiments of the people and distorting the image of Mirzapur.

Mirzapur SP Ajay Kumar Singh said, “On the complaint of one Arvind Chaturvedi, a case has been lodged against the producers of the web series Mirzapur and Amazon Prime Video under appropriate sections of IPC and IT Act.”