Temple Kissing Scenes Stir Trouble for Netflix India

On Sunday, an Indian state asked the police to investigate after a member of the country's ruling party objected to scenes in the Netflix series A Suitable Boy, in which a Hindu girl kissed a Muslim boy against the backdrop of a Hindu temple.

The series is based on an English novel by one of the leading Indian authors, Vikram Seth, and follows a young girl's search for a husband. The film is directed by the celebrated Indian filmmaker Mira Nair, reports Reuters.  

"It has extremely objectionable scenes that have hurt the feelings of a particular religion," Narottam Mishra, the interior minister of the central state of Madhya Pradesh, said on Twitter.

"I've directed police officers to get this controversial content tested" to determine "what legal action can be taken against the producer-director of the film for hurting religious sentiments".

Gaurav Tiwari, leader of the youth wing of India's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which also governs Madhya Pradesh, filed a separate complaint against Netflix and warned of street protests by Hindus that the series is not be taken off the platform.

Netflix India spokesperson refused to comment on the police complaint. Reuters could not contact Nair.

Social media commentators say that there is a narrowing of the space for artistic freedom in India, particularly when it involves some portrayal of Hindu-Muslim ties.

Many Indians have taken to Twitter to demand a boycott of Netflix, which sees India as one of the most lucrative growth markets but faces legal challenges.

Last month, a unit of India's Tata conglomerate withdrew a jewellery advertisement featuring a Hindu-Muslim family celebrating a baby shower, following threats to one of its stores and wide criticism on social media.

Earlier this month, the Indian government announced rules to regulate content on video streaming platforms including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Walt Disney's Hotstar.