Kangana Ranaut appears to have called for violence in response to the controversy surrounding Amazon Prime Video web series Tandav. In a now deleted tweet posted on Monday, 18 January, the actor wrote, "Because even Lord Krishna forgave 99 mistakes of Sheshupala... pehle shanti phir kranti (first peace then vengence)... time to take their heads off.. Jai Shri Krishan..." She was responding to a tweet by Twitter user @TheAtulMishra.
Team Saath, an organisation that works to prevent online abuse, trolling and harassment, posted a screenshot of the tweet condemning Kangana's words.
Other Twitter users also criticised the actor's incendiary words and appealed to Twitter to suspend her account for "spreading hate". Some also requested the Mumbai Police to take cognisance of the matter.
Shortly after the web series released, BJP leaders began calling for a ban on Tandav alleging that the show mocks Hindu deity Shiva and hurts religious sentiments. An FIR has been filed in Lucknow's Hazratganj Kotwali against the makers of Tandav. Separate criminal complaints have also been filed before courts in Delhi and Bihar seeking action against the streaming platform and the makers of the web series. Amazon Prime Video's India head of original content Aparna Purohit, director of Tandav Ali Abbas Zafar, the show's producer Himanshu Krishna Mehra and writer Gaurav Solanki, actors Saif Ali Khan and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub are among those associated with the show who have been named in these complaints.
Tandav director Ali Abbas Zafar issued a statement of apology on behalf of the cast and crew on 18 January, following a meeting with the Ministry of Information &Broadcasting, which sought an explanation from Amazon Prime Video after taking cognisance of the complaints lodged against the show.
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