'Bombay Begums': NCPCR seeks FIR against makers for inappropriate portrayal of children

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has sought the intervention of Maharashtra’s home ministry while asking them to register an FIR against the makers of the Netflix series Bombay Begums. The child rights organisation allegedly claimed that series portrayed children in an inappropriate manner. The NCPCR claimed that the series “normalizes minors indulging in casual sex and drug abuse”. 

NCPCR seeks FIR against Bombay Begums 

According to various media reports, the NCPCR has sought action taken report from the Mumbai Police commissioner within three days. In a letter to Maharashtra Home Ministry’s Additional Chief Secretary Manu Kumar Shrivastava, the NCPCR wrote that the Mumbai police informed them that they needed 'permission from higher authorities' since the issue falls in a 'grey area'. "Since this is a serious issue where police are not following the laid procedure of the land, hence, you are requested to look into this matter and ensure that no further child rights and law of land are violated in this matter. It is also requested that an action taken report may be furnished to the Commission within three days," the letter issued on 25 May read.

Apart from this, in another letter to Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale, the NCPCR asked him to appear before the commission through videoconferencing on May 28 along with the requisite compliance or action taken report in the matter. Earlier, in March just days after the release of the series, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) sent a notice to the streaming giant saying that the show's content may result in 'abuse and exploitation of children', the apex child rights body has now demanded certain scenes from the series to be taken down. Moreover, it has also demanded that the streaming of the series be halted until any further decision. 

After detailed deliberation, few scenes in Bombay Begums were according to them in violation of relevant Sections of JJ Act, 2015, POCSO Act, 2012, and IPC, 1860 as minor children were used in these scenes. Therefore, Netflix was then directed to immediately remove these scenes from the series, and meanwhile, till the time they come to any decision in this regard, they shall stop the streaming of this Series on their platform, the NCPCR had ordered. 

The six-part series launched on Netflix on March 8 follows five women whose lives interlock in Mumbai. Directed by Alankrita Shrivastava, the series explored an ambitious working woman’s efforts to maintain a work-life balance, and her complex relationships. The ensemble star cast of the series includes Pooja Bhatt, Shahana Goswami, Amruta Subhash, Plabita Borthakur, Aadhya Anand, Rahul Bose, Vivek Gomber, and Danish Husain, among many others.

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