Amazon Prime show censored by Indian information ministry in first for the streaming platform

Tandav, a show based on Netflix’s House of Cards and starring a number of Bollywood A-listers, has been mired in controversy since its release last Friday as Namita Singh reports

Supporters of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pour ink and beat a poster with footwear during a protest against a new web series 'Tandav', in Mumbai on 18 January 2021 (AFP via Getty Images)

A new Indian political drama series on Amazon Prime has been forced to edit out controversial scenes after direct intervention from the government, making it the first instance of censorship on a streaming platform in the country since the government brought such content under the control of the Ministry of Information.  

Tandav, which stars several Bollywood A-listers including Saif Ali Khan, has been mired in controversy since its release last Friday, accused of “hurting religious sentiments”. 

Loosely based on the hit US Netflix series House of Cards, the show has drawn criticism from several politicians of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for “deliberately mocking Hindu gods and disrespecting Hindu religious sentiments".