LUCKNOW: The new web series ‘Tandav’ has created a flutter across the country. An FIR in this regard has been lodged at Hazratganj police station in Lucknow on late Sunday night against the makers of Amazon Prime Video on charges of allegedly hurting religious sentiments of Hindus and promoting enmity.
Tandav features actors including Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Tigmanshu Dhulia, and Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub, which is drawing a lot of public ire owing to its content.
The FIR was lodged against Ali Abbas Jafar and Gaurav Solanki, the director, and writer of the web series respectively, for allegedly depicting Hindu gods in a bad light 'which could lead to religious flare-up'. The case, registered by senior sub-inspector Amarnath Yadav, also names Amazon Prime's India head of original content Aparna Purohit, producer Himanshu Krishna Mehra, and another unnamed person.
“A four-member police team comprising an inspector, a sub-inspector and two constables, has left for Mumbai at dawn on Monday for an investigation into the case and interrogate those named in the FIR,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police, central zone, Somen Barma.
The persons named in the FIR have been booked under sections 153-A, 295, 505(1)(b), 505(2), 469 of IPC and Sections 66, 66F, and 67 of IT Act-2008. The sections invoked against the persons named pertain to promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, makes destruction, damage, or defilement of a place of worship or an object held sacred; forgery for purpose of harming reputation statements conducing to public mischief, with intent to threaten the unity, integrity, security or sovereignty of India, or to strike terror in the people or any section of the people.
The FIR says that there are angry outbursts on social media against the content of the web series which was released on January 15 and people are posting its clippings.
The FIR claims that in the 17th minute of Episode 1, characters playing Hindu gods and goddesses have been shown in an uncharitable way and using undignified language, which can trigger religious sentiments.
"Similarly, in the 22nd minute of the same episode, efforts have been made to ignite caste clashes. The person holding a dignified post such as the prime minister has been shown in a very bad light and he has been shown in an undignified manner throughout the web series,” the FIR says.
“The intent of the web series seems to incite religious conflagration among a particular community and spread class conflict,” Yadav has alleged in the FIR.
Meanwhile, the web series had drawn political reaction as well. While BSP chief Mayawati took to Twitter saying that there have been objections to certain scenes of web series which tend to incite religious and caste conflicts. “In this regard, the 'objectionable' parts should be removed from the web series so that the atmosphere of peace, harmony, and common brotherhood is not spoilt in the country,” posted the BSP chief through a tweet.
On the contrary, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav played down the whole controversy by saying it was a tactic of the ruling BJP to drag people’s attention to the web series to divert it from the ongoing farmers’ stir.
However, the media advisor in the UP information directorate said that there was no tolerance for playing with people's sentiments in Uttar Pradesh. A serious case has been registered against the entire team of Tandav, which is spreading hate in the guise of cheap web series. “Be prepared for arrest," he wrote in a tweet in Hindi.
Even the seers of Ayodhya have registered their opposition to the controversial web series saying if it would not be banned, then the seers of Ayodhya would resort to actual Tandav.
“We will not be able to tolerate the insult heaped on Hindu deities in the web series. If action is not taken against the makers of the web series, the saints and seers of Ayodhya will tread on warpath,” said the seers in unison. They also exhorted the Muslim religious leaders to come forward and oppose such a series which could lead to disrupting the communal harmony in the country. The seers also questioned the alleged silence of those who, they said, always remained ready to return their awards at the drop of hat. “Why such ‘award wapsi gang’ is now silent over the insult of Hindu deities,” asked the seers.