Prime Video Responds To Shekhar Kapur’s Allegations Of Editing Bandit Queen: ‘The Version Available...'

Prime Video responded to filmmaker Shekhar Kapur's claims that his film ‘Bandit Queen’ had been altered without his consent, stating that the platform had not made any edits to the version.

Days after Shekhar Kapur voiced his displeasure, Prime Video issued a clarification, stating that they had not tampered with ‘Bandit Queen.’

Source : IMDb

Prime Video responded to filmmaker Shekhar Kapur's claims that his film ‘Bandit Queen’ had been altered without his consent, stating that the platform had not made any edits to the version currently streaming. Shekhar Kapur had expressed frustration over the film being edited beyond recognition, questioning whether Indian directors receive the same respect as their Western counterparts. 

Prime Video denies editing claims 

Days after Shekhar Kapur voiced his displeasure, Prime Video issued a clarification, stating that they had not tampered with ‘Bandit Queen.’ The platform explained that the version currently available for streaming was provided to them by the film’s distributor, NH Studioz. 

A spokesperson for Prime Video addressed the controversy, saying, "Prime Video has not made any edits to the version of the film Bandit Queen currently streaming on the service. The version available on Prime Video is the version provided by the film’s distributor, NH Studioz." 

What Shekhar Kapur had said?

The controversy began when Shekhar Kapur, while praising the Netflix miniseries 'Adolescence' on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), lamented that 'Bandit Queen' had been drastically altered on Amazon Prime Video. Expressing his frustration, he wrote, "I wonder @IAmSudhirMishra if OTT platforms would let me make #BanditQueen the way I made it years ago. The Bandit Queen on #AmazonPrime is unrecognisable from my film. Someone has cut it beyond recognition. And yet it carries my name as Director. And no one asked me! Are we lesser beings than Western Directors? Would they have the guts to cut a Chris Nolan film without his permission?" 

I wonder @IAmSudhirMishra if OTT platforms would let me make #BanditQueen the way I made it years ago. The Bandit Queen on #AmazonPrime is unrecognisable from my film. Someone has cut it beyond recognition. And yet it carries my name as Director. And no one asked me! Are we… https://t.co/LoYtkddlvp

— Shekhar Kapur (@shekharkapur) March 18, 2025

About Bandit Queen

'Bandit Queen,' which depicts the tumultuous life of Phoolan Devi— a feared dacoit-turned-politician— remains one of Indian cinema’s most critically acclaimed films. The movie, starring Seema Biswas in the lead role, gained international recognition after its premiere at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival in the Directors' Fortnight section.