Reema Kagti, Danish Aslam, Hansal Mehta react to government’s decision to regulate OTT platforms

Government has recently issued orders bringing the content of the OTT platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and others, and digital news sites under the purview of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. A notification was issued on November 9 declaring that the President has signed the order to include online films, digital news and current affairs that would be monitored by the I&B Ministry.

Filmmakers like Danish Aslam and Reema Kagti have expressed their disappointment on this decision.

Reema Kagti told PTI, “It (the decision) puts Indian content creators at a disadvantage when they are competing on the world stage. I don’t know what one can do…I don’t know the legal ramifications of this. It is too premature to talk about what can be done. We should wait and hope things will get clear when the guidelines or whatever is the intent comes into play.”

“Nothing specific has been said regarding censorship, except that it is coming under the ambit of I&B ministry. I should wait to hear what exactly this means,” she added.

She further said, “I believe there should be no censorship regardless of the medium. Films and series can be age certified and classified but a free and democratic country should let its adult citizens decide what they would like to watch or not watch in a theatre, or on their phones and computers. The choice must belong to the citizen.”

‘Mirzapur’ writer-director Karan Anshuman wrote on Twitter, “Whatever happened to the understanding with Mr (Prakash) Javadekar that OTT will be self-regulated? The govt is giving in to the basest demands of prudes. How is this progress in any manner? Don’t like it, don’t watch it. Don’t impose your regressive views on a billion people. Where was the public discourse before this autocratic decision was announced? And what’s the process to appeal, if there’s one at all?”

Whatever happened to the understanding with Mr Javadekar that OTT will be self-regulated? The govt is giving in to the basest demands of prudes. How is this progress in any manner? Don't like it, don't watch it. Don't impose your regressive views on a billion people.

— Karan Anshuman (@krnx) November 11, 2020

Hansal Mehta reacted, “Howdy?”

Howdy? https://t.co/ywvgWAsFAN

— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) November 11, 2020

Danish Aslam, the creator of web series ‘Flesh’ said the joy of OTT platforms was that one could tell a story without any artificial restrictions that are imposed from outside.

Also Read: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and other streaming platforms under the purview of I&B ministry