Before 'Tandav', these web shows and films courted controversy in India

Web shows and films courting multiple controversies and facing backlash is becoming the new normal. The latest show to spark outrage is Saif Ali Khan’s new web series ‘Tandav’, streaming on Amazon Prime Video now.

On January 18, a police case was filed against its director Ali Abbas Zafar and writer Gaurav Solanki for showcasing Hindu deities in an unflattering light. According to news reports, the First Information Report was lodged at Hazratganj police station in Uttar Pradesh and names Amazon Prime Video’s India head of original content Aparna Purohit, producer Himanshu Krishna Mehra and director Ali Abbas Zafar (pictured) for promoting enmity between different religious groups.

‘Tandav’ isn’t the first series to court controversy of this nature. Here’s a look at other web series and films that stoked scandal and widespread calls for boycott:

AK Vs AK (Netflix): As soon as director Vikramaditya Motwane’s film 'AK Vs AK' starring Anil Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap released, the Indian Air Force (IAF) objected to scenes where Kapoor’s character is seen wearing the IAF uniform and using inappropriate language.

“The IAF uniform in this video is inaccurately donned and the language used is inappropriate. This does not conform to the behavioural norms of those in the Armed Forces of India. The related scenes need to be withdrawn,” they tweeted. However, neither the makers nor the platform relented. However, lead actor Kapoor took to his social media to apologise for unknowingly hurting the sentiments of IAF officials and said he had the utmost respect for those in uniform. Those scenes were the demands of the script. “When he finds out that his daughter has been kidnapped, the anger and rage he experiences and portrays are that of an emotionally distraught father…. It was never my intent or the intent of the filmmakers to disrespect the IAF,” said Kapoor in a video.

Sacred Games season 2 (Netflix): While Saif Ali Khan’s cop thriller was a runaway hit, it enjoyed its share of controversies. When the second season of 'Sacred Games' dropped in 2019, the Sikh community expressed their disappointment at a scene in which Khan’s character is seen throwing his ‘kada’ in the sea. Sikh Delhi MLA Manjinder S Sirsa took to this Twitter to slam the makers for hurting religious sentiments.

“I wonder why Bollywood continues to disrespect our religious symbols! Anurag Kashyap deliberately puts this scene in #SacredGames2 where Saif Ali Khan throws his Kada in sea. A KADA is not an ordinary ornament. It’s the pride of Sikhs & a blessing of Guru Sahib,” tweeted Sirsa. He also slammed director Anurag Kashyap for depicting the Hindu religion in the wrong light. “We cannot let Bollywood stars play with our religious faiths & sentiments. I warn Anurag Kashyap; he should at least study the scriptures of Sikhs & Hindus before he portrays the characters so negatively in his projects just for entertainment or sensationalisation,” he added.

Mirzapur 2 (Amazon Prime Video): As soon as the trailer of the crime saga ‘Mirzapur’ starring Ali Fazal dropped, a section of social media users on Twitter demanding the boycott of the series. The reason? They weren’t keen to support a series spearheaded by an actor who supported the nation-wide protests against CAA and NRC. His tweets about endorsing anti-CAA protests triggered the calls for boycott.

The Family Man (Amazon Prime Video): Actor Manoj Bajpayee’s celebrated series courted controversy when RSS and its affiliated magazine raised objections about certain dialogues about the Indian government’s action of abrogating Article 370 in which it granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

“In the series, a woman affiliated to the National Investigating Agency (NIA) is shown speaking to her male colleague at Srinagar’s Lal Chowk, decrying the fact that Kashmiris were being oppressed by the Indian state as it had shut down phones and internet and used measures like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). At one point she asks her male colleague, who appears quite affected by her talk, whether there is any difference between the Indian administrative apparatus and militants,” claimed the article. They called for greater censorship.

Aashram 2 (MX Player): Director Prakash Jha’s internet series ‘Aashram 2’ was served a legal notice for allegedly hurting Hindu sentiments. A legal notice was sent to the web platform MX Player and Jha for “directly targeting the ancient tradition, custom, culture of Hindu, Ashramas Dharma”.

Pataal Lok (Amazon Prime Video): Producer and actress Anushka Sharma was labelled “anti-national” after her production ‘Pataal Lok’ released on Amazon Prime and the hashtag #BoycottPataalLok began trending soon after. Nandkishor Gurjar, a member of the Legislative Assembly of the ruling BJP party, even filed a complaint against Sharma for using his picture in the series without permission.