Tandav row: MP govt demands ban on Amazon Prime Video India show for 'hurting religious sentiments'

The Madhya Pradesh government will file a case against the makers of Amazon Prime Video series "Tandav" for allegedly hurting religious sentiments, state Hom Minister Narottam Mishra said on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reacted to the controversy over the depiction of Hindu deities in Tandav, saying "no one has the right to hurt our faith and insult our deities".

At the heart of the controversy is a scene that features Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub's college student Shiva playing the Hindu god Mahadev in a theatre production.

Talking to reporters on Tuesday, Mishra said,"We'll request Centre for a policy to restrict web series that use vulgar language and attack religious sentiments."

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I condemn the way Zeeshan Ayyub, Saif Ali Khan, Ali Abbas Zafar reacted to our religious sentiments. MP govt will register case, thinking of banning it. We'll request Centre for a policy to restrict web series that use vulgar language & attack religious sentiments: MP HM#Tandav pic.twitter.com/kECqgaWWiv

— ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2021

The show, featuring Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia and Sunil Grover in lead roles has faced severe backlash after BJP leaders alleged that a scene in the show mocked Shiva and hurt Hindu sentiments. A number of complaints have already been filed in courts in Delhi and Bihar along with an FIR in Lucknow's Hazratganj Kotwali.

Ali Abbas Zafar, director and creator of Tandav, had issued an apology on his social media handles, following a controversy.

'The cast and crew of Tandav take cognizance of the concerns expressed by the people and unconditionally apologize if it has unintentionally hurt anybody’s sentiments,' Ali Abbas Zafar tweeted.

(With inputs from Press Trust of India)