New Delhi: The Supreme Court sought Thursday responses from the Centre, Amazon Prime Video and Excel Entertainment Pvt Ltd on a plea. The plea has alleged that web series Mirzapur has ‘completely tarnished’ the historical and cultural image of the place by showing it as a ‘city of goons’. A Supreme Court bench by Chief Justice SA Bobde issued the notices on the plea. The plea also alleged showing ‘shameless things’ in the name of Mirzapur is an insult to the rich culture of the city. The petitioner is Mirzapur-resident Sujeet Kumar Singh. He said he has filed the plea to protect the ‘historical and cultural value’ of Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh.
““Mirzapur had rich cultural value but in 2018, Excel Entertainment has launched a web series named Mirzapur of nine episodes. In the series they have shown Mirzapur a city of goons and adulteress. By showing such ridicules and shameless things on the name of a city/district is the insult of approximately 30 lakh population and rich culture of Mirzapur,” the plea stated.
The hearing was conducted through video-conferencing. The counsel appearing for the petitioner told the bench that the plea has become infructuous as the web series has already been telecast. However, the Supreme Court bench said it was issuing notices on the plea. The second season of the web series was released last year.
“Such movies and web series are clear violation of the dictum of the Supreme Court to block the publication or transmission of obscene material in any electronic form, transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act or conduct and also publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act or conduct and also publishing or transmitting material depicting children in sexually explicit act or conduct forthwith,” the plea said. It claimed that the web series is full of ‘nudity, vulgarity and abusive language’.
It has sought a direction to the Centre to set up a pre-screening committee for web series, films or other programmes. Only after being passed by the committee, the series should be released on online platforms, the plea said.