Protect art moral policing of ott content will kill a vibrant new industry

Protect art moral policing of ott content will kill a vibrant new industry

In yet another example of moral policing and parading of “hurt sentiments”, an FIR has been registered in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, against two officials of Netflix over alleged shooting of kissing scenes at a temple in Maheshwar for the web series A Suitable Boy. IPC Section 295A has been invoked against the Netflix officials which carries up to three years’ imprisonment for “deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs”. Not only is this unfortunate, if Netflix and the makers of the series are actually prosecuted it will have a chilling effect on over-the-top (OTT) video hosting and streaming services, which represent one of the very few industries that have maintained their vibrancy even in the wake of Covid-19.

Moreover, the action was taken after a complaint by a functionary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. If such complaints are entertained, it will open a Pandora’s Box of facile objections. It will be impossible to create art or any creative content if the makers try to please everyone. Besides, how does an individual complaining about hurt religious sentiments represent outrage of an entire religious community? By this logic anyone can claim to represent his or her religion. Further, if offence is taken at an alleged temple kissing scene, it’s worth noting that MP’s Khajuraho temples exhibit some of the most erotic sculptures in the world.

Plus, the sheer volume and diversity of OTT content makes minute scrutiny impractical. If such scrutiny is forced anyway, it will kill the entire business model, leading to further job losses. This is precisely why there is trepidation about the recent notification bringing all online content, including OTT platforms, under the Union information and broadcasting ministry. OTT platforms are projected to become a Rs 4,000 crore revenue market by the end of 2025. Government shouldn’t kill this golden goose.