The Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) has imposed a financial penalty of ₹2.5 lakh on Sun TV as well as directed them to run a video apology after examining complaints from viewers about the content in the serial Kalyana Veedu.
According to the order, complaints had been received based on episodes which aired on May 14 and 15, and June 28 which had shown a woman ordering a group to gang rape her sister in order to seek revenge.
The complaints which the Council had received noted that such content would encourage atrocities against women and should not have been aired in a channel being watched by millions.
The council, on examining the video clips based on the complaints, has said in their order that the content violated the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) guidelines which bars content that glorifies violence, as well as incite or encourage viewers to obscene or indecent behaviour.
A notice was issued to the channel and they had subsequently been called for a hearing. In their reply to the council, Sun TV and Thiru Pictures had clarified that all precautions had been taken to ensure that the dialogues were not vulgar and obscene.
They apologised to the Council and the order stated that they have consented to agree with their decision as well.
A 30 second video apology in Tamil for six consecutive days will be run from September 23 to 28 at the start of every episode of the series when they get aired as well as if they get repeated. The show airs on Sun TV at 7.30 p.m.
The order further specified the content of the apology, which states that the channel regrets the prolonged depiction of women’s torture including scenes of gang rape in the episodes of Kalyana Veedu telecast on May 14 and 15 as well as the act of revenge shown on June 28.
