Central govt should bring in law to regulate OTT content: Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh

By ANI

MUMBAI: In the wake of the controversy over the release of web series ‘Tandav’, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Wednesday said that the central government should bring in legislation in regard to over-the-top (OTT) platforms.

“We have received a complaint regarding web series ‘Tandav’. Action will be taken as per the law. Central government should bring legislation in regard to over-the-top (OTT) platforms,” Deshmukh told reporters here.

Earlier on Tuesday, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra said that the state government will register a case against Amazon Prime India’s web series ‘Tandav’.

This came after several FIRs were registered in different parts of the country against web series ‘Tandav’ for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.

An FIR was also registered at Rabupura Police Station against makers and actors of web series Tandav for inciting communal disharmony, hurting religious sentiments, and allegedly showing Uttar Pradesh Police in a bad light.

“Locals have filed a complaint against the director of Tandav web series, India head of Amazon Prime among others for showing caste-based insults and hurting religious sentiments in the series,” Rajesh Kumar Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Greater Noida said.

Meanwhile, ‘Tandav’ creator Ali Abbas Zafar on Tuesday revealed that the cast and crew of the show have decided to implement changes in the Amazon Prime Video-based series in order to address the backlash against its content that has hurt religious sentiments of many viewers.

Zafar shared an official statement from the cast and crew of ‘Tandav’ on Twitter and reiterated that the team had no intentions to hurt or offend the sentiments of any caste, race, community or religion.

“We have utmost respect for the sentiments of the people of our country. We did not intend to hurt or offend the sentiments of any individual, caste, community, race, religion or religious beliefs or insult or outrage any institution, political party or person, living or dead,” the statement read.

“The cast and crew of Tandav have made the decision to implement changes to the web series to address the concerns raised towards the same,” the statement further read.

Earlier on Monday, the cast and crew of the Saif Ali Khan starrer political-drama had extended their apologies to the viewers for “unintentionally” hurting their sentiments.

An FIR was registered at Lucknow’s Hazratganj Kotwali against Amazon Prime’s India head of original content Aparna Purohit, Zafar, producer of the show Himanshu Krishna Mehra, writer Gaurav Solanki and others for allegedly hurting religious sentiments on Monday.