A scene from Mira Nair's Netflix show A Suitable Boy kicked up a social media storm on Sunday for purportedly promoting "love jihad".
The clip, that is now doing the rounds of microblogging site along with cries of boycotting OTT platform Netflix, shows a Hindu character Lata Mehra (Taniya Maniktala) kissing her interfaith lover inside the premises of a temple.
Soon, a section of outraged Twitter users asked what would happen if the story plot was reversed and the kissing scene was filmed at a mosque instead.
Sharing the video, BJP leader Gaurav Tiwari slammed and questioned the filmmakers over filming the scene at a temple. Tiwari has also registered an FIR against Netflix in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa.
अपने ‘A Suitable Boy’ कार्यक्रम में @NetflixIndia ने एक ही एपिसोड में तीन बार मंदिर प्रांगण में चुंबन दृश्य फ़िल्माए। पटकथा के अनुसार मुस्लिम युवक को हिंदू महिला प्रेम करती है, पर सभी किसिंग सीन मंदिर प्रांगण में क्यूँ शूट किए गए?मैने रीवा में इस मामले पर FIR दर्ज करा दी है। pic.twitter.com/RcwuPDDME2
— Gaurav Tiwari (@adolitics) November 21, 2020
Netflix पर मुक़दमा करने के बाद देश भर से मिले समर्थन के लिए आप सभी का आभारी हूँ। आज #BoycottNetflix पूरे देश में ट्रेंड कर रहा है और मध्यप्रदेश के गृहमंत्री आदरणीय @drnarottammisra जी ने @NetflixIndia पर सख्त कार्यवाही का आश्वासन दिया है।विवादित सीन हटाने ही होंगे। सत्यमेव जयते pic.twitter.com/Bm9QQvOWr4
— Gaurav Tiwari (@adolitics) November 22, 2020
Following Tiwari's tweet, #BoycottNetflix trended on microblogging site Twitter on Sunday. "This is not our culture what Netflix is showcasing," wrote an irked user.
Netflix is "explicitly" a Hindu hαting OTT platformThe problem is not the kissing scene, the problem is using a temple as a backdrop with a Hindu woman breaking the shackles of Hinduism by kissing a Buslim manThe problem is your not so hidden agenda#BoycottNetflix pic.twitter.com/JzopYnCjvR
— Vaidehi In Exile 🇮🇳 🕉️ (@dharmicverangna) November 22, 2020
If you are really proud of being a Hindu, then honor your religion by uninstalling #Netflix right away.#BoycottNetflix pic.twitter.com/DPZHgPtcxP
— Saurabh Pandey (@Parsotak24_7) November 22, 2020
This is not our culture what Netflix is showcasing#BoycottNetflix pic.twitter.com/wpMv9mIx2X
— Parvinder Singh (@Parvinder4Bjp) November 22, 2020
#BoycottNetflixUnistall netflix today for hurting the sentiments of Hindus by picturising a kissing scene inside the boundaries of a Temple.#BoycottNetflix pic.twitter.com/BvFoYxbYO8
— 🇮🇳 राष्ट्रवादी 🇮🇳 Capt. Jack 🇮🇳 (@pankajgameover) November 22, 2020
Earlier last month, an advertisement by jewellery brand Tanishq showing an inter-faith couple stirred a storm on social media so much that the commercial was later pulled down.
The commercial showed a Hindu woman married into a Muslim family all set for her baby shower, was first launched. The ad faced accusations of promoting Love Jihad, a conspiracy theory used to define Muslim men cajoling Hindu women into marriage with the intention of converting them to Islam.