BJP leaders have called for a ban on Ali Abbas Zafar's Amazon Prime Video web series Tandav for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. The political drama, which stars Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub in lead roles, released on the streaming platform on 15 January. The BJP leaders appear to have taken offence at a scene in which Zeeshan Ayyub's character performs a play as Shiva.
In a series of tweets, Ram Kadam, a BJP leader from Mumbai, complained that Saif Ali Khan had participated in a show that hurts the sentiments of Hindus. He also demanded that the scene "mocking Shiva" should be removed and that Zeeshan Ayyub, who features in the scene, apologise. He called for a boycott of the show until his demands were met.
Kadam also tweeted on 17 January that he was on his way to the Ghatkopar Chiragnagar police station to "file an FIR against the creators, directors and actors of the web series regarding the desecration of Hindu deities."
In a separate tweet he tagged information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javdekar and asked that content on OTT platforms be reviewed by a censor board similar to that of television programmes and films.
MP Manoj Kotak echoed Kadam's sentiment writing, "OTT platforms having absolute freedom from censorship has led to repeated attacks on Hindu sentiments which I strongly condemn." He posted a photo of a letter he had written to Prakash Javdekar requesting that "OTT content be regulated in the interest of integrity of India." In the letter he said that the "makers of Tandav has deliberately mocking Hindu gods and disrespect Hindu religious sentiments (sic)."
Former MLA and BJP member Kapil Mishra claimed that Tandav was "anti Dalit" and "full of communal hatred against Hindus". He too urged his followers to complain to Prakash Javdekar.
BJP Chandigarh spokesperson Gaurav Goel wrote to the Director General of Police seeking the arrest of the shows makers.
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