Netflix Removes Film From Platform After Severe Backlash From Offended Viewers

In a statement to CNN, a spokesperson confirmed the removal saying “We removed this film at the request of the licensor.”

Despite the popularity of these film projects on streaming platforms, films like Annapoorani and ‘The Kashmir Files’ have nonetheless been removed after protest campaigns from religious groups.

In traditional Indian society, Brahmins are a higher caste who view vegetarianism as a spiritual practice and detest killing a living animal to survive. The movie offended both Hindus and Brahmins in India.

Just as quickly as Annaporrani made a splash, it was quietly removed from the Netflix platform not even two weeks later. The film’s production studio, Zee Entertainment sent a letter to the Prime Minister apologizing for hurting religious sentiments.

The complaint lists grievances that allege the film “promotes enmity between different groups” and outrages religious feelings, according to CNN.

India is known for its historical caste system, where certain communities received privilege and status over others. These hate speech laws have been used as a weapon by various groups to get speech they don’t approve of restricted or removed.

Solanki submitted a complaint to the police on January 6. On Hindu IT Cell’s X profile, they state their motto “is to protect our Dharma legally.”

India currently has a right-wing Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Some in India see Modi as a controversial figure, who was banned from entering the United States in 2005. His ban was rescinded once he attained the office of Prime Minister in 2014.

The National right-wing BJP holds an overwhelming majority of seats in state assemblies. They currently hold 1,481 seats in state assemblies and control 165 state councils.

Indian right-wing extremism has been rising in recent years, with those subscribing to Hindu supremacy being a major group that is tearing the country apart. The Guardian reported on the rise of anti-Muslim vigilantes in 2020.

Having to worry about the fine line they need to tread to not offend certain viewers might lead to Netflix not wanting to take any risks on future projects.

The Hindu reported in December 2023 that Netflix removed uncensored versions of Indian films from its service. Some in India were upset because Netflix was one of the last places that someone could see the uncensored versions of these films.

Activists in India are critical of the organization for its increasing tendency to censor political messages from cinema. For example, in the film “Pathaan”, a villainous character was changed from an ex-KGB agent to an ex-agent of a Ukraine intelligence service.

In a 1989 judgment, the court said that “‘Film censorship becomes necessary because a film motivates thought and action and assures a high degree of attention and retention as compared to the printed word. The combination of act and speech, sight and sound in semi darkness of the theatre with elimination of all distracting ideas will have a strong impact on the minds of the viewers and can affect emotions.”

The series, called ‘A Suitable Boy’ had inter-religious relationships as one of its major themes. The kiss set off reactions from religious groups and even members of Modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who spoke out.

These nationalists view the film industry as keen on expressing anti-Hindu sentiments and having an overwhelmingly positive pro-Muslim agenda. The effect of these boycotts has had a chilling effect on movie industry producers, who try to avoid certain topics.

Netflix also began producing original series for other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. The company sees Asia as an untapped market with an excellent opportunity for user growth.

According to Nikkei Asia, the Asia-Pacific market for Netflix accounted for 80% of the company’s user growth in quarter 1 of 2023. Netflix is chasing those highs even if the results of their investments have been mixed. 

According to data on Statista, India’s internet availability increased by four times in just 12 years. In 2012, India only had a 12.6 percent penetration rate. However, in 2022, that number increased to 48.7 percent. This is a massive increase and India still has a lot of potential for growth.

This number alone makes India second place in the world when it comes to active internet users, according to Statista. Statista estimated the total population of India to be around 1.42 billion people in 2022.

A U.N. report projects that India will reach 1.428 billion people in 2023 while China will only reach 1.425 billion. As India surpasses China to earn the top spot, many companies will be evaluating how to take advantage of this emerging market.

Although service is normally confined to US territories, Hulu does allow streaming to US military bases in other countries. Service members can only access Hulu directly from the military base.

They invested in creating 22 different series and three feature films for the Indian region. Prime Video has been available in India since 2016 but is starting to see recent dividends. Variety reported India has the highest percentage of members watching Prime Video each month than other Prime Video regions.

The Washington Post reported the government is intent on restraining Indian citizen’s speech on social media platforms like X, YouTube, and Facebook. Officials have put in place more restrictions that prevent people from criticizing Prime Minister Modi and the BJP.