'Tandav' row: Team of 4 UP cops leave for Mumbai, MP Minister demands stay on webseries

An FIR was lodged against the makers of web series Tandav and Amazon's India head of original content for allegedly depicting Hindu Gods in a manner hurtful to religious sentiments of the people.

The FIR against Aparna Purohit, the head of Amazon's India head of original content, director of the series Ali Abbas, producer Himanshu Krishna Mehra, writer Gaurav Solanki, and an unknown person was lodged late on Sunday night by senior Sub Inspector Amar Nath Yadav at the Hazratganj Kotwali police station. 

On Monday morning, a team of four UP Police officials left for interrogation of Tandav team in Mumbai from Lucknow. The interrogation will be in connection with an FIR registered against the web series team the previous night.

Moreover, MP Minister Vishwas Sarang on Monday demanded a stay on the series.

The film starring Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Sunil Grover, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Dino Morea, Kumud Mishra, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, Gauhar Khan and Kritika Kamra, premiered on the streaming platform on Friday.

According to the FIR, following public outrage expressed on social media platforms, the web series was viewed and it was found in the 17th minute of the first episode of the series that Hindu gods and goddesses have been presented in an "undignified manner'' and shown using language which is hurtful to religious sentiments.

Dialogues in the web series can incite caste anger, the FIR alleged.

It also alleged that the person occupying the high post of Prime Minister of India has been portrayed in a very belittling manner besides there are scenes in which castes have been presented as low and high and women in an insulting manner.

The FIR further alleged that intent of the web series is to incite religious sentiments of a particular community and create enmity among classes. This act of the producer-director has hurt and incited religious and caste sentiments of the people, the FIR added.

Earlier, taking cognizance of complaints that Hindu Gods and Goddesses have been ridiculed in web series Tandav, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Sunday sought an explanation from streaming platform Amazon Prime Video on the issue, sources said. The development came after BJP MP Manoj Kotak on Sunday said he has written to Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar seeking a ban on Amazon Prime Video's series Tandav for ridiculing Hindu deities.

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(With PTI inputs)