Human Rights Commission urges action against Ranbir Kapoor, Netflix over airing e-cigarette scene in 'The Ba***ds of Bollywood'

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 22 (ANI): The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) urged the Mumbai Police to register an FIR against actor Ranbir Kapoor, producers, production company and OTT platform Netflix for allegedly airing the use of banned e-cigarettes on screen without a warning or disclaimer in the recently released show ‘The Ba****ds of Bollywood.’

‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’ came under the radar of controversy after an episode featured Ranbir Kapoor allegedly smoking a banned e-cigarette without a warning or disclaimer on the screen during its release.

After receiving a complaint regarding the same from the Legal Rights Observatory, the NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo wrote a letter to the Commissioner of Mumbai Police, urging them to take legal action against the actor, production studio and the OTT platform for the violation of the Prohibition of Electric Cigarettes Act 2019.

While talking to ANI, Priyank Kanoongo said, “We received a complaint from an organisation called the Legal Rights Observatory. The complainant stated that there is a series called “The Ba***ds of Bollywood” on the Netflix OTT platform. In one episode of this series, actor Ranbir Kapoor is smoking an e-cigarette. The complainant alleges that through this, he is influencing young people, especially our new generation, to smoke e-cigarettes.”

While calling the promotion, manufacturing, importing, selling or stocking e-cigarettes a crime, Priyank Kanoongo said that they have issued a letter to the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, urging him to “remove this and take action against the relevant platforms.”

“We examined this complaint and found that in India, under the E-Cigarette Prohibition Act, no person shall promote e-cigarettes. Manufacturing, importing, selling, or stocking e-cigarettes in India is a crime. We have issued a notice to the Commissioner of Mumbai Police. We have asked him to file an FIR under the appropriate sections and take legal action against this actor, this production company, and this OTT platform. We have also asked him to identify the manufacturers, importers, stockists, and sellers of these e-cigarettes and take appropriate legal action against them. We have also issued a notice to the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, asking him to remove this and take action against the relevant platforms,” said Priyank Kanoongo.

‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’ was directed by Aryan Khan and stars Lakshya, Raghav Juyal, Bobby Deol and Sahher Bambba in the lead roles.

The show is currently streaming on Netflix. (ANI)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)