Author and political analyst Mithun Vijay Kumar has sent a legal notice to Netflix asking the streaming giant to remove one of the episodes of its popular show The Big Bang Theory. In the first episode of season two, the character Raj Koothrapalli, played by Kunal Nayyar, uses derogatory remarks against Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit.
In the legal notice, Mithun Vijay Kumar pointed out that the remarks made by Raj Koothrapalli are not only offensive but also defamatory. The notice states that such content can have a negative impact on society, particularly in perpetuating harmful stereotypes against women. He further states that the content promotes sexism and misogyny which is not acceptable in any form.
The legal notice demands that Netflix remove the episode immediately and failure to do so would result in legal action for promoting discrimination against women. The legal notice has been sent to Netflix's office in Mumbai. If Netflix fails to respond or does not comply with the demands made in the legal notice, Mithun Vijay Kumar has stated that he will take further legal action against the streaming giant.
On Twitter, he wrote, “Recently, I came across an episode of the show Big Bang Theory on Netflix where Kunal Nayyar's character uses an offensive and derogatory term to refer to the legendary Bollywood actress @MadhuriDixit. As a fan of Madhuri Dixit since childhood, I was deeply disturbed by the dialogue. I found it highly derogatory and offensive towards Indian culture and women. So I asked my lawyer to send a legal notice to Netflix, requesting that they remove the episode from their platform. It's important to hold media companies accountable for the content they distribute, and I hope that @NetflixIndia will take this matter seriously.”
Recently, I came across an episode of the show Big Bang Theory on Netflix where Kunal Nayyar's character uses an offensive and derogatory term to refer to the legendary Bollywood actress @MadhuriDixit. As a fan of Madhuri Dixit since childhood, I was deeply disturbed by the… pic.twitter.com/pvRCKd5Ne4
— Mithun Vijay Kumar (@MVJonline) March 22, 2023
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. 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. I strongly believe that streaming service providers must take such issues seriously and act quickly to address any instances of offensive or defamatory content. Furthermore, streaming service providers should be proactive in preventing such content from being streamed. This can be achieved through clear guidelines and rigorous screening processes for all the content published. Ultimately, streaming services have a significant influence over the content that is consumed by millions of individuals, and with this influence comes a responsibility to ensure that the content they offer is respectful, inclusive, and free from harmful stereotypes. I hope that this incident will serve as a wake-up call to all streaming services providers to work towards creating a more equitable and respectful media landscape.”
The Big Bang Theory, which was created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, premiered in 2007 and ran for 12 seasons. It ended in 2019.