Konkona Sen Sharma reacts sharply after Supreme Court pulls up 'Tandav' makers & actors

Konkona SenSharma took to her Twitter handle to react to the Supreme Court verdict on the controversial webseries Tandav. On Wednesday, the SC declined to grant interim protection from any coercive action to Ali Abbas Zafar, and others seeking quashing of FIRs against them for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of Hindus.

Siddharth Agrawal, appearing for actor Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, defended the alleged objectionable part of the web series saying that as an actor, he has no artistic control over dialogues spoken by him. To this, the bench remarked, "You cannot take up a role without reading the script. You cannot play a role hurting religious sentiments of others." The top court further said, "Your right to freedom of speech is not absolute. You cannot play the role of a character that hurts the sentiments of a community."

To this, Konkona reacted, "Almost all involved in the show have read the script and signed the contract! Let’s arrest the whole cast and crew?” Gauahar Khan, who plays a role in the web series also dropped emojis.

A bench comprising justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy and M R Shah, hearing as many as three separate petitions on behalf of the makers and others connected to the web series, issued notices to UP, MP, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar and Delhi and the police officers probing the complaints.

The top court said Zafar, Amazon Prime India head Aparna Purohit, producer Himanshu Mehra, the show's writer Gaurav Solanki and actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub may seek bail from courts concerned in the FIRs lodged in connection with the web series. The four have been booked in Lucknow under sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race and so on), 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class), 501 (1)(B) (public mischief with intent to cause fear or alarm) of the IPC and under relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.

'Tandav' row: UP Police reaches Ali Abbas Zafar's residence, asks him to appear on Jan 27

Tandav, a nine-episode political thriller starring Bollywood A-listers Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia and Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, started streaming last week. At the centre of the row is a scene with Zeeshan Ayyub, in the role of college student Shiva, playing the Hindu god Mahadev in a theatre production.

Bombay HC grants transit anticipatory bail to 'Tandav' web series director Ali Abbas Zafar

(With PTI inputs)