Could OTT content like Sacred Games and Game Of Thrones
lose their edge if they were to be censored? While the answer might be one with
no clear consensus, a PIL has been filed at the Bombay High Court seeking
content regulations on certain “obscene and vulgar” shows being aired on OTT
platforms.
Justices Bhushan Dharmadhikari and M G Biradkarhave
issued notices to the I&B Ministry, Union Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology, Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of Home Affairs
and to the Nagpur police commissioner, seeking their respective replies by
October 31, claim news reports.
The PIL has filed by Divya Gontia reportedly in context
to a web series called Gandi Baat on ALTBalaji. Also mentioned in the PIL as
objectionable is Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane’s Netflix series
Sacred Games. The PIL states that Sacred Games uses vulgar language and shows sexually explicit scenes. More
importance is given to nudity, obscenity and vulgarity than to the original
plot.
Gandi Baat Poster
The petitioner’s lawyer Shyam Dewani told PTI, “We cited
before the court various examples of uncontrolled vulgarity, obscenity in such
shows and sought a direction to concerned authorities to take appropriate
action against all such web service providers.”
“Broadcasting nudity or vulgar scenes is a cognisable
offence under IPC, Cinematograph Act, Indecent Representation of Women
(Prohibition) Act 1986 and the Information Technology Act, 2000,” added the
lawyer.
Sacred Games Poster
You might recall that the Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin
Siddiqui, Radhika Apte starrer, Sacred Games, that streams on Netflix, had run
into trouble when a plea was filed in the Delhi High Court seeking removal
of some “offensive scenes.” It alleged that some of its content was derogatory
in nature to former PM Rajiv Gandhi.
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