Netflix gets legal notice for disrespectful comments about Madhuri Dixit in Big Bang Theory

The popular streaming platform Netflix is in trouble as political analyst Mithun Vijay Kumar has sent it a legal notice over derogatory remarks against actress Madhuri Dixit in one of the episodes of the cult classic show The Big Bang Theory.

The series, created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, originally aired on CBS from 2007 to 2019. Even though Netflix did not produce it, its streaming library shows — in countries like India and Pakistan — the series, presenting a negative image of the women of the South Asian diaspora.

In the first episode of the second season titled "The Bad Fish Paradigm", which aired on September 22, 2008, actor Jim Parson who essayed Sheldon Cooper had a disagreement with Raj Koothrapalli, played by actor Kunal Nayyar.

The characters were comparing Bollywood divas Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit when Sheldon called Rai "a poor man’s Madhuri Dixit". In response, Raj replied, "Aishwarya Rai is a goddess, by comparison, Madhuri Dixit is a leprous prostitute."

Kumar, in his notice, expressed the wish that the streaming service removes the said episode from their platform.

Kumar shared the notice on Twitter and said that he was "deeply disturbed by the dialogue" and "found it highly derogatory and offensive towards Indian culture and women".

In a statement, the analyst 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 stated.

Kumar emphasized that "streaming service providers must take such issues seriously and act quickly to address any instances of offensive or defamatory content".

"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," he added.

Kumar tweeted, "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 Madhuri Dixit. As a fan of Madhuri Dixit since childhood, I was deeply disturbed by the dialogue. I found it highly derogatory and offensive towards Indian culture and women. So I asked my lawyer to send a legal notice to Netflix, requesting that they remove the episode from their platform. It's important to hold media companies accountable for the content they distribute, and I hope that @NetflixIndia will take this matter seriously."

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

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