Anushka Sharma's production Paatal Lok, a nine-part web series which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video has been receiving positive reviews from all over. A few days ago, Anushka Sharma was served a legal notice from a member of the Lawyers Guild, for a casteist slur used in the show. Now, Sikkim Lok Sabha MP Indra Hang Subba has written a letter to Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar calling for action against the show.
This is regarding sexist slur hurled against the Nepali speaking community in the second episode of the original series Paatal Lok which is being streamed in Amazon Prime Video. Nepali is one of the 22 languages listed in the 8th Schedule of the Indian constitution with 10.5 million people speaking the language as mother tongue. Hence the derogatory and offensive label made in the particular scene of the series has not only hurt the sentiments of the community but has also set an example of racist stereotyping of the people from the community especially at this time where the people from the northeast region have already endured racial assaults owing to the Covid-19 pandemic," Indra Hang Subba has written in the letter.
"I strongly condemn the irresponsible and insensitive act and would like to extend my unconditional support to the appeal made by the community through the online petition which has stressed on Amazon muting the slur, blurring the subtitles and uploading an edited version of the video along with an apology from the makers of the series and a disclaimer," he added in the letter.
Apart from this, BJP MLA Nandkishore Gurjar has also filed a complaint against producer Anushka Sharma for using his photo in the show without his permission. In the show, Gurjar's photo has been used in a scene where Balkrishna Bajpayee who is a negative character in the show is shown inaugurating a national highway. The picture has been morphed to include the show's fictional characters. The original picture also features other BJP leaders including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
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