New Delhi: Political analyst Mithun Vijay Kumar has sent Netflix a legal notice regarding one of the episodes of its popular sitcom 'The Big Bang Theory'. Kumar urged that the show be taken off the streaming service and claimed that the content encouraged sexism and misogyny.
Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit were compared in the first episode of the second season of 'The Big Bang Theory' by Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon Cooper. Sheldon recognises Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit right away when he goes to Raj's apartment and finds him watching a Bollywood movie. He refers to Aishwarya in a scene as "a poor man's Madhuri Dixit."
In response, Kunal Nayyar, who plays the character of Raj Koothrapalli, says, “Aishwarya Rai is a goddess, by comparison, Madhuri Dixit is a leprous prostitute.”
“It is important to hold companies like Netflix accountable for their actions and to ensure that they are sensitive to the cultural values and sentiments of the communities they serve. 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. I was deeply troubled by the use of a derogatory term in one of the shows on Netflix - Big Bang Theory. This term was used in reference to the acclaimed actress Madhuri Dixit, and it was not only offensive and deeply hurtful but also showed a lack of regard for her dignity,” Mithun Vijay Kumar wrote in his statement.
"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. I hope that this incident will serve as a wake-up call to all streaming services providers to work towards creating a more equitable and respectful media landscape,” he added.
See the full statement here:
In reference to the scene, Mithun Vijay Kumar has threatened to take additional legal action against Netflix if they do not answer or do not adhere to the demands mentioned in the notice.