With Supreme Court recently expressing its concern about the content shown by over the top (OTT) platforms, Netflix has been directed by National Commission for Protection of Child Rights to stop streaming of Bombay Begums.
Issuing a notice to Netflix, the apex child rights body chairperson said, “We have sought stopping the streaming of ‘Bombay Begums’ over the inappropriate portrayal of children in the series.’’
Further, the Thursday notice has asked for a detailed action report within 24 hours, failing which the body will be constrained to initiate appropriate legal action.
Action by the body was initiated on the basis of complaints received from two Twitter handles.
The first one said: “From normalization of minors indulging in casual sex we now have a web series showing minors having Cocaine. Screen grab from #BombayBegums where a 13 year old is snorting “Wcoke as the party she goes to is all about alcohol, drugs.”
“Dream of school girls is to send selfies with a `developed’ body part to Imran,” said the second tweet.’
The commission objecting to the alleged inappropriate depicting of children, stated that content like this will not only pollute the young minds but may also result in abuse and exploitation of children.
"Netflix should take extra precaution while streaming any content in respect of the children or for the children and shall also refrain themselves from getting into such things," the notice said.
NCPCR further said, "Therefore, you are directed to look into this matter and immediately stop streaming of this series and furnish a detailed action report within 24 hours, failing which the Commission will be constrained to initiate appropriate action pursuant to the provisions of Section 14 of the CPCR (Commission for Protection of Child Rights) Act, 2005."
The six-part series directed by Alankrita Shrivastava, who earlier has helmed Lipstick Under My Burkha and Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare, is about the lives of five women. Hailing from varied walks of life, the show portrays how they hustle their way in a chauvinistic social order and its dubious workings.
Pooja Bhatt, Shahana Goswami, Plabita Borthakur, Amruta Subhash, Aadhya Anand, Rahul Bose, Vivek Gomber, Danish Husain and Nauheed Cyrusi feature in Bombay Begums.
