Netflix gets legal notice for ‘The Big Bang Theory’s ‘offensive remark’ against Madhuri Dixit

In the legal notice, Kumar has asked the streamer to remove the first episode of season two where the character of Sheldon Cooper, played by Jim Parsons, compares Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit.

Hyderabad: OTT giant Netflix has recently received a legal notice from political analyst Mithun Vijay Kumar over one of the episodes of its popular sitcom ‘The Big Bang Theory’. After around 15 years since the episode aired, Kumar claimed that it has offensive remarks against actor Madhuri Dixit. The legal notice has been sent to Netflix’s office in Mumbai.

In the legal notice, Kumar has asked the streamer to remove the first episode of season two where the character of Sheldon Cooper, played by Jim Parsons, compares Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit.

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In a scene, he calls Aishwarya ‘a poor man’s Madhuri Dixit’. In response to this, the character Raj Koothrapalli, played by Kunal Nayyar, says, “Aishwarya Rai is a goddess, by comparison, Madhuri Dixit is a ‘leprous prostitute’.”

Recently, I came across an episode of the show Big Bang Theory on Netflix where Kunal Nayyar's character uses an offensive and derogatory term to refer to the legendary Bollywood actress @MadhuriDixit. As a fan of Madhuri Dixit since childhood, I was deeply disturbed by the… pic.twitter.com/pvRCKd5Ne4

— Mithun Vijay Kumar (@MVJonline) March 22, 2023

In a 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.”

Kumar points out that the remarks made by Kunal’s character are not only offensive but also defamatory. “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 (sic),” he further added.

The ‘Big Bang Theory’, created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, premiered in 2007 and concluded in 2019 after a 12-season run. The show focused on socially awkward friends Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, and Raj whose lives take a turn when a free-spirited Penny moves into an apartment across their hall. All 12 seasons of the show are available on Netflix.