Streaming giant Netflix has been served a legal notice by political analyst Mithun Vijay Kumar over an episode in the popular American sitcom The Big Bang Theory. He claims that the episode uses a "derogatory term" to refer to Bollywood actor Madhuri Dixit and has requested its removal from the platform.
In the first episode of season two of The Big Bang Theory, the character Sheldon Cooper, portrayed by Jim Parsons, made a comparison between Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit. During a particular scene, he referred to Aishwarya as a “poor man's Madhuri Dixit" in reaction to which, the character Raj Koothrapalli, portrayed by Kunal Nayyar, said, "Aishwarya Rai is a goddess, by comparison, Madhuri Dixit is a leprous prostitute."
Kumar said the characters’ comments are both offensive and defamatory. He also accused the content of promoting sexism and misogyny. The notice has been sent to the Netflix office in Mumbai, as per the news agency.
Mithun Vijay Kumar said that if Netflix does not respond to or meet the demands outlined in the notice, he will pursue additional legal measures.
“I strongly believe that streaming service providers have a responsibility to carefully curate the content that they offer on their platforms. It is their duty to ensure that the material they present does not include derogatory, offensive, or defamatory content,” Kumar said in the statement.
He further added, “Ultimately, streaming services have a significant influence over the content that is consumed by millions of individuals, and with this influence comes a responsibility to ensure that the content they offer is respectful, inclusive, and free from harmful stereotypes.”
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