Netflix India recently informed the Delhi High Court that the subtitles for the web-series Sacred Games have been changed. The changes were made after Nikhil Bhalla, an advocate, filed a PIL against the show for allegedly insulting late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
In the series, Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s character, Ganesh Gaitonde uses the word ‘fattu’ while referring to the late prime minister. It was translated as ‘pussy’ at first. Later, when objections were raised, it was changed to ‘wimp’.
The Delhi HC then said that criticism and expression of dissatisfaction are permissible. The bench enquired about the meaning of the word ‘fattu’ as there was some confusion around it. It also observed that there was no regulation on the internet except in some limited cases.
“Criticism or even expression of dissatisfaction is permissible. So which portion do you think has been violating these things?” the court asked.
Shashank Garg, counsel for Nikhil Bhalla, said that the series used derogatory terms when referring to Rajiv Gandhi and that it was a public injury. Airports, important sports awards are named after the late PM, and hence, it must be considered as public injury, Garg reasoned, according to the Hindustan Times.
The court denied his claim and said that a person has a view point, right or wrong. And that it can’t be deemed as public injury.
“Only when we find that there is something related to the law or illegal. As far as defamation is concerned, that right is available to you,” the bench said.
The next hearing is on August 7.
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Garg has been asked to provide the context around the scenes that are alleged to be derogatory.
Sacred Games is based on the novel of the same name by author Vikram Chandra. Staged as a cat-and-mouse game between Sartaj Singh (Saif Ali Khan) and Mumbai don Ganesh Gaitonde (Siddiqui), the series offers biting commentary on many important scandals in the 70’s and 80’s. Couched in the content are scathing criticisms of the BOFORs scandal and the controversy surrounding the Shah Bhano case.
The series, directed by Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane, is available on Netflix.