Mithun Vijay Kumar, an analyst, served Netflix with a legal notice over a comment made in the popular sitcom 'Big Bang Theory,' which stars Jim Parsons and Kunal Nayyar, among others. The remark was made in 'Big Bang Theory' Season 2 Episode 1. Raj Koothrapalli, played by Kunal Nayyar, and Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon Cooper, compare Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit in the episode.
Sheldon Cooper refers to Aishwarya Rai as a poor man's Madhuri Dixit in the scene in question. In response to his remark, Raj Koothrapalli says, "Aishwarya Rai is a goddess; Madhuri Dixit is a leprous prostitute."
Kumar had sent a legal notice to Netflix's Mumbai office, requesting that the episode be removed or face legal action for promoting discrimination. The OTT platform then directed Kumar to Warner Bros, the popular sitcom's producer. Netflix also informed Warner Bros about the development, and the company is expected to make a decision.
Mithun Vijay Kumar talked with popular news channels, "As a sensible streaming service provider that understands cultural sensitivities, Netflix has informed the show's original producers regarding the gravity of the issue raised by me. I hope Warner Bros will take appropriate content moderation measures and ensure their content is free from such abusive language towards people and cultures."
He continued, "As an individual, I believe that all such programs that use derogatory language in the name of humor must be taken down. We even have recent observations from an honorable high court on regulating content with vulgar language on social media and OTT. While the 'Big Bang Theory' episode may be one such issue, there are plenty of other shows where the content needs to be regulated. But I hope this incident has highlighted the need for content moderation on streaming platforms when foul language crosses a particular line. Even today, swear words are not spoken in the presence of family, women, children, etc., so why is OTT an exception?"