Indian Film Industry under Modi’s scrutiny

New Delhi, 20th January: Bollywood has once again fallen into the hands of India’s Hindu nationalist ruling party, and Western streaming services like Amazon and Netflix find themselves caught in the middle.

Two separate complaints were lodged with the police over the weekend against the makers of a big-budget web series, ‘Tandav’ on Amazon, which is close to the current events in India’s ongoing conflicts.

The complainants, including a politician with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have insisted that the government close the series or take out important scenes. Among other objections, he accused of insulting Hindu gods, harassing individual caste members and insulting the post of Prime Minister.

If the police find merits on complaints, Amazon and the show’s promoters could appear in criminal court.

On Monday, ‘Tandav’ director Ali Abbas Zafar posted a statement on his Instagram account stating that the show was a work of fiction and that any resemblance to acting and individuals and events was a mere coincidence.

The cast and crew have apologized unconditionally for the concerns expressed by the public if they have inadvertently hurt anyone’s feelings.

Defenders of the show say the pressure on Amazon to drop the series is due to the growing intolerance in India, which is also affecting Bollywood, India’s film and entertainment industry.

They say, actors, comedians, producers, artists and anyone who dares to question the government, even indirectly, can risk their careers.

Late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh, who had openly campaigned against various government policies, said, “When you take a stand, you have to pay the price.” “No one is surprised these days. And no one knows how to react now.”

This attitude complicates the intentions of both Bollywood studios and big companies to capture a huge Indian audience through their laptops and smartphones.

Like the Hollywood film industry, Bollywood has also turned to streaming channels after the pandemic halted the theatre business.

In the past few months, people belonging to Mr Modi’s party have put up their pressure on some of the most successful artists in the country.

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