New Delhi: Recently, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights issued a notice against Sony Pictures Networks and asked the network to take down an episode of the children's dance show ‘Super Dancer -Chapter 3’ in which a child was allegedly asked vulgar and sexually explicit questions about his parents. Now the show’s judge Anurag Basu has addressed the issue and said that he will not defend the episode because as a parent he understands parents situation.
In a conversation with Times Of India, Anurag Basu said, “I will not defend this because I understand how embarrassing this was for the parents, and I am a father of two kids myself. Super Dancer is a kids’ dance reality show, and children often say things innocently. We shoot with them for hours, and they say so many things, which are sometimes not in anyone’s control. I agree that I should not have directed the conversation towards something that led the contestant to say things that embarrassed his parents.”
“I also feel that we should draw a line when it comes to asking questions to contestants. It is important to be careful while interacting with children because they innocently say things that may not be appropriate. So, ideally, this part could have been edited, but that was not in my control... It is important that we, as judges, exercise this responsibility and be cautious in the questions we ask. I think after this, the kids too will be cautious while saying anything. It is important that such things don’t happen. This is my personal opinion. I am speaking here as a judge of a reality show and not on behalf of the channel. I felt it was my responsibility to clear the air because I am aware that this clip has gone viral,” he was quoted as saying by Times of India.
The apex child rights body had sent a notice to the Sony Pictures Networks and sought an explanation from the network why such inappropriate questions were asked to the child artist.
"Further, the commission on viewing the said video observes that all questions asked to the minor were inappropriate and disturbing in nature and not meant to be asked to children," PTI quoted the NCPCR notice.
"Therefore, your good offices are requested to urgently take down the said episode and further send an explanation to the commission as to why such inappropriate questions were asked to the minor child artist on a kid's dance show," the NCPCR said.
It also requested Sony Pictures Networks not to stream such "inappropriate content” on their channel.
'Super Dancer', the children's dance reality show, is judged by director Anurag Basu, choreographer Geeta Kapur and actor Shilpa Shetty. Television actor Rithvik Dhajani hosts the show along with Paritosh Tripathi.