MUMBAI: Amazon Prime Video web series Paatal Lok has been receiving a lot of positive reviews from critics and fans, but that hasn’t kept naysayers away. The series, produced by Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma, has found itself in a few controversies ever since it started streaming on the OTT platform.

Starring Jaideep Ahlawat, Neeraj Kabi, Ishwak Singh and Abhishek Bannerjee among others, Paatal Lok is the story of a Delhi cop who finds himself entangled in a web of lies and deceit where bureaucracy, politics and even media play significant roles.

Here are all the controversies surrounding Paatal Lok:

1. Complaint from BJP MLA Nandkishor Gurjar

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Nandkishor Gurjar has filed a complaint against Paatal Lok producer Anushka Sharma for allegedly using his photograph in the series without his permission. The alleged photo originally featured UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath but the one appearing on the show has been morphed.

मेरी स्वंय की गुर्जरजाती जिसका गौरवशाली इतिहास है, उनकाचित्रण डकैत एवं गलत कार्यो में शामिल एवंअन्य पंजाब के जाट (जट) समाज को भेदभाववाला, ब्राह्म्ण, त्यागी को आपराधिक प्रवृत्ति कादिखाकर एवं आपस में जातीय भेदभाव आपसीवैमनस्यता को बढ़ावा देने का कार्य किया गयाहै।
3/7 pic.twitter.com/TzvoczFXos

— Nandkishor Gurjar (@nkgurjar4bjp) May 23, 2020

2. Complaints from the Sikh community

Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Manjinder Singh Sirsa has shared his concern about the depiction of Sikh characters in Paatal Lok. Specifically, he has objected to the scene where a Sikh man is shown to be raping a woman while another Sikh man watches in despair. As per Sirsa, this has upset the community, and he has demanded that Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar should look into the matter and ban the series. 

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Shame on @AnushkaSharma @AmazonPrime for showing Sikhs as Rapists
I request @PrakashJavdekar Ji to take strong action against #patalok

This series must be banned and Amazon must be fined for their repetitive attempt to malign religious harmony in India @ANI @TimesNow @republic pic.twitter.com/PbJREdUbBw

— Manjinder S Sirsa (@mssirsa) May 23, 2020

3. Complaints from the Gorkha community

Indra Hang Subba, MP from Sikkim, has written to I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar regarding the sexist slur used by one of the characters on the show. His complaint states that more than 10.5 million people in India speak Nepali and they have been deeply affected by the incident.

The Bharatiya Gorkha Yuva Parisangh, the youth wing of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh, has also objected to the slur that has been used on the show and has asked the makers to mute the conversation. As per PTI, the complaint read, 'We strongly condemn it in toughest terms and seek immediate removal of the scene’s subtitles and mute the slur.'

It further read, 'This is not just regressive but also racist stereotyping of Northeast people, in particular the Gorkhas.' The petition has been sent to Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar. 

SOURCE – THE INDIAN EXPRESS 

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