Krishna D.K. and Raj Nidimoru, the creators of Amazon Prime Video’s Indian original series The Family Man, have backed the show after the regional Tamil Nadu government called for it to be banned.
Federal government minister Prakash Javadekar, whose responsibilities include information and broadcasting, was contacted by local authority representative Vaiko after a new trailer was released for the Hindi-language show on May 19, ahead of the second season launch on the platform on June 4.
The letter of complaint claimed that the trailer depicted Tamil people “as terrorists” and that its content had “hurt the sentiments of Tamil people and Tamil culture and [are] offensive against the Tamil community”.
“It is urged that the Ministry should take immediate action to stop the release of The Family Man 2 in OTT, Amazon… otherwise, the people of Tamil Nadu will react very seriously and the government has to face the serious consequences,” it continued.
Today, Krishna D.K. and Raj Nidimoru released a statement widely circulated on social media defending their show. They suggested that the trailer was not necessarily representative of the final product and urged people to watch the full series.
“Some assumptions and impressions have been made based on just a couple of shots in the trailer,” the pair wrote. “Many of our lead cast members and key members of the creative and writing team are Tamilians. We are very cognizant of the sentiments of the Tamil people and Tamil culture and have nothing but the utmost love and respect towards our Tamil people.”
“We have put in years of hard work into this show, and we have taken great pains to bring to our audiences a sensitive, balanced, and riveting story – much like we did in Season 1 of the show. We request everyone to wait and watch the show when it releases. We know you’ll appreciate it once you watch it,” they continued.
Season one of The Family Man also attracted some criticism, primarily from the right-wing Hindu nationalist party RSS, which claimed it sympathized with terrorists. However, the show is understood to have been a viewing hit for Amazon.
Another Amazon original series, Tandav, ignited into controversy earlier this year over its depiction of Hindu gods. In response, the show’s creator Ali Abbas Zafar confirmed it would be re-cut after the complaints.
Deadline has contacted Amazon Prime Video India for comment.