Tandav row: All you need to know about controversies surrounding Saif's show | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Saturday
June 10, 2023

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
    • GOVT. Ad
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 2023
Tandav row: All you need to know about controversies surrounding Saif's show

Glitz

Hindustan Times
19 January, 2021, 11:40 am
Last modified: 19 January, 2021, 11:42 am

Related News

  • 'Rings of Power' calls out racism against cast members of color
  • Elon Musk slams Amazon’s ‘Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ amidst feud with Jeff Bezos
  • 'Lord of the Rings' prequel is Amazon Prime Video's biggest premiere
  • 'Lord of the Rings' prequel is Amazon Prime Video's biggest premiere
  • New 'Lord of the Rings' series brings a female story to the forefront

Tandav row: All you need to know about controversies surrounding Saif's show

The Amazon Prime Video web series Tandav has been at the centre of a controversy after it was alleged that certain scenes are offensive to certain communities.

Hindustan Times
19 January, 2021, 11:40 am
Last modified: 19 January, 2021, 11:42 am
Tandav has been at the centre of a controversy after it was alleged that certain scenes are offensive to certain communities. Photo:  Collected
Tandav has been at the centre of a controversy after it was alleged that certain scenes are offensive to certain communities. Photo: Collected

On Monday, Tandav creator-director Ali Abbas Zafar apologised for having unintentionally hurt the sentiments of a certain section of the audience, but not before police complaints had been made against him and his cast. Tandav, a political drama that debuted on Amazon Prime Video recently, is about the power struggle that is unleashed after the death of a Prime Minister.

Watch the trailer of "Tandav" here

The plot of the nine-episode series is ripped from the headlines; the series opens with a farmers' protest and a significant amount of screen time is devoted to a firebrand student leader. There are stand-ins for the Jawaharlal Nehru University and Kanhaiya Kumar.

The contentious scene

At the heart of the controversy is a scene in the first episode of the series. In it, actor Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub plays Lord Shiva in a stage play, and says, "Azaadi, what the...?" In the same scene, the narrator on stage tells Lord Shiva that he needs to do something to improve his popularity on social media as Lord Ram's popularity is gaining. Shiva asks whether he should come up with a new display picture.

The complaints

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Manoj Kotak wrote to Information and Broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar seeking a ban on the series for allegedly ridiculing Hindu deities. "Different organisations and individuals have complained that Hindu Gods and Goddesses have been ridiculed in Tandav web series. Comments have been passed about them," Kotak said.

MLA Ram Kadam in Maharashtra had tweeted demanding the removal of the part mocking Lord Shiva and an apology from actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub. "Tandava will be boycotted until necessary changes are made. #BanTandavNow," he had tweeted. "Just as there is a system of censors for reviewing films and serials, a similar arrangement should be made to review series on the OTT platform. Writing to @PrakashJavdekar ji," he also tweeted in Hindi.

BJP leader Kapil Mishra alleged that Tandav is "anti Dalit and full of communal hatred against Hindus". He also requested people in the same tweet to write to Prakash Javadekar appealing for a ban on the web series.

Former UP chief minister, Mayawati, wrote in a tweet that in the interest of 'peace and harmony' the objectionable scene should be removed from the series.

The fallout

Police personnel were spotted stationed outside Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor's home in Mumbai on Sunday.

The I&B ministry sought an explanation from Amazon Prime after the controversy broke out. "The ministry has called executives of the video streaming service and decided to seek an explanation from them over the matter," an official said.

Officials from Amazon Prime Video told news agency PTI that the platform "won't be responding" to media queries on the matter.

An FIR was registered against Amazon India original content head Aparna Purohit, creator Ali, producer Himanshu Krishna Mehra, writer Gaurav Solanki and others at the Hazratganj police station of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow deputy commissioner of police (Central) Somen Barma said.

The apology

Our sincere apologies . pic.twitter.com/Efr9s0kYnl— ali abbas zafar (@aliabbaszafar) January 18, 2021

"Our sincere apologies," Ali wrote in a social media post on Monday, on behalf of the cast and crew. "We have been closely monitoring viewer reactions to the web series Tandav and today during a discussion, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting have informed us regarding a large number of grievances and petitions received on various facets of the web series with serious concerns and apprehensions regarding its content hurting the sentiments of the people," the statement read.

It continued, "The web series Tandav is a work of fiction and any resemblance to acts and persons and events is purely coincidental. The cast and crew did not have any intention to 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 cast and crew of Tandav take cognizance of the concerns expressed by the people and unconditionally apologize if it has unintentionally hurt anybody's sentiments."

The future

The controversy comes at a time when the censorship of streaming platforms is being debated. Outrage was previously expressed upon the release of streaming releases Sacred Games and Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl.

In November, the Union government brought streaming video services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hotstar, and news websites under the ambit of the Information & Broadcasting ministry for regulation, issuing a notification that will now allow the latter to draft rules that could have a far-reaching impact on popular channels of digital content.

Ali confirmed in an interview to Mid-Day that he has completed writing the second season of the show, despite no official confirmation by Amazon. "During the lockdown, I sat in my Dehradun home for five months and kept writing. We have already developed the script for the second season, and hopefully, it will go on floors soon," he said.

Tandav / Ali Abbas Zafar / Amazon Prime / Saif Ali Khan

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • More taxes proposed for pvt unis, English medium schools, trade orgs, NGOs
    More taxes proposed for pvt unis, English medium schools, trade orgs, NGOs
  • Illustration: TBS
    Inflation roars on
  • Photo: Collected
    World Bank keeps Bangladesh GDP growth unchanged at 5.2% in FY23

MOST VIEWED

  • Janowar poster. Photo: Collected
    Janowar: Portraying the real-life horror on screen
  • Miracle in Cell No. 7: Heartwarming Story inside a Prison Cell
    Miracle in Cell No. 7: Heartwarming Story inside a Prison Cell
  • 'Close-up ei somoyer kache ashar golpo' will feature stories by filmmakers for the first time
    'Close-up ei somoyer kache ashar golpo' will feature stories by filmmakers for the first time
  • Photo: Collected
    'Avatar' and 'Top Gun' sequels land Golden Globe nominations
  • Marilyn Monroe. Photo: Collected
    Marilyn Monroe: An actress more than just a sex symbol
  • Left to right Ibon Ibhtesam, Samin Yasar, Eather Hasan, ishmam Intiser, Samuel Adhikary. Illustration: Ibon Ibhtesam
    HIGHWAY: The experimental band delivering psychedelic and groovy musical goodness

Related News

  • 'Rings of Power' calls out racism against cast members of color
  • Elon Musk slams Amazon’s ‘Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ amidst feud with Jeff Bezos
  • 'Lord of the Rings' prequel is Amazon Prime Video's biggest premiere
  • 'Lord of the Rings' prequel is Amazon Prime Video's biggest premiere
  • New 'Lord of the Rings' series brings a female story to the forefront

Features

Yamaha MT-15 V2

Top 3 150-160cc naked sports bikes in Bangladesh

9h | Wheels
Infograph: TBS

Balancing lives and livelihoods: How can South Asia prepare for the next pandemic?

11h | Panorama
Earning more money isn’t exactly a priority for Messi, already one of the world’s richest athletes. Photo: Bloomberg

Why Lionel Messi chose Miami over Riyadh

12h | Panorama
Many stores at the solar wholesale markets are now half full. Or half empty. Photo: Noor-A-Alam

Empty stores and crowded corridors: How the solar market ran out in a week

14h | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

Stats of Europe’s Top 5 League

Stats of Europe’s Top 5 League

6h | TBS SPORTS
13 helpful tips to negotiate about job

13 helpful tips to negotiate about job

1d | TBS Career
Why did Messi turn away from Europe?

Why did Messi turn away from Europe?

1d | TBS SPORTS
Tips to getting sleep on a hot night

Tips to getting sleep on a hot night

14h | TBS Health

Most Read

1
bKash denied permission to pay $4.10 lakh for Argentina football partnership
Banking

bKash denied permission to pay $4.10 lakh for Argentina football partnership

2
Photo: Noor-A-Alam/TBS
Splash

The Night Dhaka did NOT vibe with Anuv Jain

3
Photo: TBS
Energy

2nd unit of Payra power plant to shut down over coal shortage

4
Photo: Screengrab from a video posted by a NSU student
Energy

'Will collapse any moment': NSU teachers, students raise concern after long power outage hit country's largest private uni

5
Digital bank licence requires Tk125cr capital
Banking

Digital bank licence requires Tk125cr capital

6
Photo: Salahuddin Ahmed Paulash/TBS
Energy

LPG price drops by Tk13.42 per kg

EMAIL US
[email protected]
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2023
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - [email protected]

For advertisement- [email protected]