Child rights body issues notice to Netflix over the portrayal of children in Bombay begum
In another uproar over the OTT platform, the National Commission for the protection of child rights (NCPCR), alleging improper representation by the children in the web series, ordered Netflix to stop broadcasting its Ensemble drama Bombay Begums.
The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) sent Netflix a notice on Thursday requesting a comprehensive action report within 24 hours, without which it would be “forced to take necessary legal action.”
The Commission states that such material may “pollute the mind of young people” and may also result in violence, exploitation and otherwise infringing children against the alleged improper depictions of children within the series.
The NCPCR claimed that it had agreed to take action on the grounds of a lawsuit claiming that Bombay Begums had shown children to engage in casual sex and to misuse drugs.
“Netflix should take special care when streaming any material relating to or for minors, and should also refrain from displaying them getting involved in such things,” the commission said in its notice.
Netflix refused to comment on the issue However, media experts point out that the program, which tells the story of five women from different generations in contemporary India who deal with personal shortcomings, desire, misogyny, and social strain, is rated 18+ and has a strong disclaimer card at the beginning that informs viewers of the series’ numerous themes. Scenes in this case that were opposed to depict a young teenager with poor self-esteem and body image problems drinking and taking drugs at a club.
On March 8, Netflix premiered Bombay Begums, a six-part series about five women whose lives converge in Mumbai. The show discusses desire, a working woman’s attempts to maintain a work-life balance, and her diverse relationships with men, women, friends, employers, daughters, and her own body, directed by Lipstick Under My Burkha filmmaker Alankrita Shrivastava. Shahana Goswami, Amruta Subhash, Plabita Borthakur, Aadhya Anand, Rahul Bose, Vivek Gomber, and Danish Husain star in the film.
OTT systems have been under scrutiny for a while now. Last month, the Government of India officially tightened its power over digital and OTT networks, implementing a three-tier structure called ‘soft-touch regulatory architecture’
