Fresh FIR filed by Mumbai Police against ‘Tandav’ makers

The Mumbai Police on Wednesday filed a fresh FIR against the makers of the web series, Tandav. The show, which streams on OTT platform Amazon Prime Video, had received criticism, particularly from the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) for allegedly showing members of one community in poor light.

The complaint was filed by BJP MLA Ram Kadam. The FIR which is lodged at the Ghatkopar Police Station, has been filed against Ali Abbas Zafar, Himanshu Mehra, Aparna Purohit (of Amazon Prime), Gaurav Solanki and Amit Agrawal. The sections filed against them include 153(A), 295 (A) and 505 (2). Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, the lead actor, too has been booked.

Meanwhile a four member UP Police team today visited the Mumbai Police Commissioners office to seek permission to question the above mentioned people associated with Tandav. This after another FIR was filed in UP over the same row. The makers of Tandav on Tuesday agreed to implement changes to their controversial webseries after several FIRs were filed against the political drama for alleged inappropriate depiction of Hindu deities and calls for its ban.

The day also saw many political leaders expressing the need for close monitoring of OTT platforms besides protests at some places with the demonstrators burning effigies of series director Ali Abbas Zafar among others. Tandav, a nine-episode political thriller starring Bollywood A-listers Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia and Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, started streaming on Amazon Prime Video on Friday but the show ran into trouble over its depiction of Hindu deities.

Taking cognisance of complaints over the web series, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had on Sunday sought an explanation from Amazon Prime Video on the issue. On Monday, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s media advisor Shalabhmani Tripathi said the makers of “Tandav” have to pay the price for hurting religious sentiments.

He said four members of the UP police have left for Mumbai for a detailed probe into the case after an FIR was lodged against the show at the Hazratganj police station. At least three FIRs have been lodged against the makers and artists of “Tandav” in Uttar Pradesh – at Lucknow, Greater Noida and Shahjahanpur – for alleged inappropriate depiction of UP Police personnel, deities, and adverse portrayal of a character playing Prime Minister in the show.

In their second apology statement in two days, the show’s team also thanked the Ministry of Information Broadcasting for its “guidance & support” in the matter. At the centre of the row is a scene with Zeeshan Ayyub, in the role of college student Shiva, playing god Mahadev in a theatre production. As the controversy escalated, the show makers tried to defuse the situation by announcing their decision to remove the controversial portion from the show.

This is one of the several complaints filed against ‘Tandav’ in several parts of the country. A criminal complaint has been filed before a Delhi court seeking action against the makers of the web series.