New Delhi: Mithun Vijay Kumar, a writer and political analyst, has just sent Netflix a legal notice. He has requested that the popular programme The Big Bang Theory’s episode be taken off by the large streaming service.
Raj Koothrapalli, a character played by Kunal Nayyar, insults Bollywood diva Madhuri Dixit in the first episode of season two. Both offensive and defamatory have been terms used by Mithun. In addition, he charged that the material supported misogyny.
Mithun Vijay Kumar has noted in the legal notice that Raj Koothrapalli’s comments are both offensive and defamatory. According to the warning, such material may have a detrimental effect on society, especially if it helps to reinforce unfavourable stereotypes about women. In addition, he claims that the material supports sexism and misogyny, both of which are unacceptable in any form.
Netflix is required by the legal notification to take down the show right now; otherwise, they risk being sued for encouraging discrimination against women. The legal notice has been delivered to the Mumbai headquarters of Netflix. Mithun Vijay Kumar has said he will pursue additional legal action against Netflix if the streaming giant does not reply or complies with the requests expressed in the legal notice.
Mithun Vijay Kumar sends legal notice to Netflix
Speaking about the matter, Mithun Vijay Kumar said, “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.”
He added, “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.”
What went wrong in the episode?
The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper, played by Jim Parsons, made a comparison between Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Madhuri Dixit in the first episode of the second season. Aishwarya was described by him as “a poor man’s Madhuri Dixit.” Raj Koothrapalli responded, “In comparison, Madhuri Dixit is a leprous prostitute; Aishwarya Rai is a god.”
