FIR filed against Tandav makers

It appears Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan’s ‘Tandav’ is receiving ire from a certain section of people in India for hurting their religious sentiments. An FIR has been filed against the makers of the recently released Amazon Prime web series ‘Tandav’,for allegedly creating a possibility of religious tension, portraying Hindu Gods in a bad light and using casteist scenes and dialogues in the series. The makers are also accused of portraying the Indian Prime Minister in an indecent way.

The FIR has been filed against director Ali Abbas Zafar, writer Gaurav Solanki, Amazon Prime’s India head of original content Aparna Purohit and Tandav’s producer Himanshu Krishna Mehra.

The FIR has been registered under sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language), 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class), 505 (1) (B) (statements conducing to public mischief with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquility), 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation) and 505 (2) (Whoever commits an offence specified in sub-section (2) in any place of worship or in any assembly engaged in the performance of religious worship or religious ceremonies, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to five years and shall also be liable to fine) along with sections of the IT Act.

Earlier, a BJP MLA had written to Information Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar demanding an immediate ban on the web series and Amazon Prime Video. He also demanded to impose National Security Act on Ali Abbas Zafar, Saif Ali Khan and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub.

Tandav was premiered on Amazon Prime Video on January 15. It stars Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Sunil Grover, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Kumud Mishra, among others. The show focuses on the story of Samar Pratap (Saif Ali Khan) and his quest to inherit the chair of PM from his father Devki Nandan (Tigmanshu Dhulia), who isn’t willing to retire yet.