Legal notice issued to Netflix for sitcom 'Big Bang Theory's' offensive remark on Madhuri Dixit

Political analyst Mithun Vijay Kumar has filed a lawsuit against OTT behemoth Netflix over an episode of its hit programme The Big Bang Theory. Kumar urged that the programme be taken off the streaming service, calling it both offensive and slanderous. Additionally, he claimed that the content encouraged sexism and misogyny.

For the unversed, Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon Cooper, compared Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit in the first episode of the second season of The Big Bang Theory. In one of the scenes, he called Aishwarya 'a poor man's Madhuri Dixit.' In response, the character Raj Koothrapalli, played by Kunal Nayyar, says, "Aishwarya Rai is a goddess; by comparison, Madhuri Dixit is a leprous prostitute."

In the aforementioned scene, Mithun Vijay Kumar cautioned Netflix with additional legal action if they did not respond or adhere to the requests mentioned in the notice.

In his statement, he 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.”

He further added, "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."

Well, we do not know what kind of actions will be taken by the involved parties, but 'The Big Bang Theory' fans might have to be ears to sad news.