The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Mumbai Police Commissioner over a complaint alleging that the Netflix web series The Ba***ds of Bollywood showed actor Ranbir Kapoor using e-cigarettes on screen without any health warning or disclaimer, in violation of Indian law.

NHRC urgs govt to take appropriate action to prohibit such content

According to ANI, NHRC in its communication to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, has urged the government to take “appropriate action” to prohibit such content on OTT platforms, citing its potential influence on impressionable audiences, particularly youth.

Separately, the NHRC has written to the Mumbai Police Commissioner, recommending the registration of an FIR against Ranbir Kapoor, the producers, the production company, and Netflix under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019. The law bans the production, sale, and advertisement of e-cigarettes in India.

The complaint, which triggered the NHRC’s intervention, claimed that the series promoted the use of banned e-cigarettes without carrying the mandated anti-smoking disclaimers, thereby violating legal and ethical broadcasting norms.

As of now, there has been no official response from Netflix, Ranbir Kapoor, or the production team of the series.

Ba***ds of Bollywood getting good reviews

Aryan Khan‘s directorial debut on Netflix is being liked by critics and audiences alike. An excerpt from the Hindustan Times review reads, “The USP of Ba***ds are not the cameos or the glitz. It is an almost behind-the-scenes look at Bollywood’s underbelly. It comes from a man who has grown up watching all this around himself, Aryan Khan. So, there is some amount of credibility to it.

But Aryan chooses to do it in an unserious manner, where everything is a joke, almost like a badly-written blind or Reddit post. But this tone works because of how lightly the film industry is taken by the general population. Aryan pokes fun at Bollywood and its high and mighty in a downright silly manner, which makes you wonder if it is all too silly at times.”

The Bads of Bollywood premiered on Netflix this Thursday. Gauri Khan produced the series under the Red Chillies Entertainment banner and features a dynamic ensemble cast that includes Lakshya, Raghav Juyal, Sahher Bambba, Mona Singh, Anya Singh, Manoj Pahwa, and Gautami Kapoor.