In the wake of Ekta Kapoor’s XXX row, here are a few other controversial web shows that made headlines

These web series entered murky waters when they were accused of hurting the sentiments of various sections of people.

Ekta Kapoor has found herself in hot water recently. The Czarina of television, as she is popularly called, was caught in a whirlwind of controversy over her ALTBalaji web series XXX. The erotic series consists of different stories revolving around themes of sexuality.

According to news agency PTI, an ex-serviceman had lodged a complaint claiming that the series contained objectionable scenes involving a military officer’s wife. Following the complaint, an arrest warrant was issued against Ekta and her mother Shobha Kapoor for allegedly ‘insulting’ the Indian army through the subject matter of the show.

This is not the first time a web series has earned the ire of the public. OTT shows have found themselves in murky waters numerous times before, with allegations that their content hurt different sections of people. Here’s a look back at some such shows which came in the thick of controversy.

Tandav

Saif Ali Khan’s political thriller web series delves deep into the political mechanisms that take place within the heart of the capital city. The series, created and directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, came under fire for allegedly hurting the sentiments of the Hindu community, especially with respect to one episode, which people claimed mocked Hindu deities. Following the issue, the director issued an apology and promised to remove the objectionable scene in question from the show. Tandav, which also stars , Sunil Grover, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Dimple Kapadia, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Dino Morea and Anup Soni, can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.

Sacred Games

Saif Ali Khan found himself in the centre of controversy yet again with Sacred Games. Anurag Kashyap’s series rakes in a number of controversies, including allegations of hurting the religious sentiments of the Sikh community, criticising a former Prime Minister, among others. Starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte, Girish Kulkarni, Neeraj Kabi, Jeetendra Joshi, Rajshri Deshpande, Karan Wahi, Sukhmani Sadana, Aamir Bashir, Jatin Sarna, Elnaaz Norouzi, Pankaj Tripathi, Amey Wagh, Kubbra Sait, Surveen Chawla, Kalki Koechlin, Ranvir Shorey and Amruta Subhash, the series can be streamed on Netflix.

The Family Man

Raj and DK’s spy thriller show was on the receiving end of critical acclaim, as well as numerous accolades. But that did not stop it from raking up controversy. The series’ second season witnessed controversy centred around the character, a Sri Lankan Tamil liberation fighter, played by Samantha Ruth Prabhu. Alleging that the show hurt the sentiments of Eelam Tamils and the people of Tamil Nadu, even the Tamil Nadu government had raised objections about the show and sought its ban. The series, starring Manoj Bajpayee, can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.

Bombay Begums

Netflix’s Bombay Begums marked Pooja Bhatt’s comeback to the silver screen. However, her triumphant return was marred by controversy when the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights sent a notice to Netflix to stop the streaming of the show. The objectionable scene in question showed a couple of minors taking cocaine. The commission alleged that the show would ‘pollute’ the minds of youth with such scenes.

Mirzapur

Pankaj Tripathi’s Mirzapur is currently gearing up for the release of its third season. The Amazon Prime Video series is set in the titular place in the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh and courted controversy over its alleged ‘offensive’ portrayals of the region. The series, which also came into controversy for allegedly hurting religious sentiments, stars Pankaj Tripathi, Shweta Tripathi, Divyendu Sharma, Ali Fazal, Vikrant Massey, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Rasika Dugal, Harshita Gaur and Kulbhushan Kharbanda.

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