TANDAV BOWS DOWN: CENSORSHIP IS THE WAY FORWARD FOR OTT?

isn’t right to Industry insiders feel it censor digital content, add makers must avoid hurting sentiments

Censorship: this word, of late, has been creating headlines. First, it was films, now, it seems to be OTT content as well. The latest instance is Tandav, the web show starring Saif Ali Khan in the lead and set against the backdrop of Indian politics. One scene that drew ire shows actor Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub playing a modern-day Lord Shiva in a college play. Netizens have alleged it hurts religious sentiments. Another scene involves characters played by Anuup Sonii and Sandhya Mridul, talking about caste. The outrage forced the makers to issue a statement, agreeing to “implement changes”. Does this point towards censorship being the way forward for OTT? Actor-filmmaker Renuka Shahane, who directed the film Tribhanga recently, is against censorship, but says, “You can’t curtail any kind of outrage that happens these days. But I have to say that as makers...one should not put out anything that hurts anybody’s religious sentiments.” In the recent past, shows such as A Suitable Boy and Ashram too have been accused of hurting sentiments. Vani Tripathi Tikoo, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) member, says she has often argued that the lens of film certification should not be used for OTT. “Theatre viewing is a collective exercise, and watching OTT more personalised. But in Covid-19 times, families have been sitting and watching them together,” she says. Adding while we shouldn’t be censoring, she says, “Some countries have a code and industry standard for digital content. You can’t dissociate from that responsibility in a hyper sensitive democracy like India.” Telling the story in the right way is what people are emphasising on. Joining the list is Apurva Asrani, who’s written films such as Aligarh (2015), Shahid (2013) and the latest season of the web show Criminal Justice. He says, “In a democracy, you should be able to tell your story. Someone with another point of view has the right to counter that with a story told in a similar format.” Pritish Nandy, producer of the show Four More Shots Please! says when the state backs a point of view, generally “most people fall in line”. He elaborates, “It does not mean what they are doing is right, it means people do not want to face the consequences of taking on the might of the state. If India wants to compete in that challenging, creative space, it must learn to do with minimal censorship.”