Close X
    Thursday, November 28, 2024
    ADVT 
    Bollywood

    Priyanka Chopra Starrer Quantico: ABC Apologises For Hindu Terror Plot After Online Backlash

    IANS, 08 Jun, 2018 11:28 AM

      US television studio ABC has apologised to Indian fans of its crime drama Quantico after an episode featuring Indian nationalists trying to frame Pakistan in a terrorist plot sparked online outrage against Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra, who plays a lead role in the show.

       

      “The episode has stirred a lot of emotion, much of which is unfairly aimed at Priyanka Chopra, who didn’t create the show, nor does she write or direct it,” said Walt Disney-owned ABC in its statement.

       
       

      After the recent Quantico episode, Chopra has faced online attacks and even some calls to boycott her work and the brands that she endorses, including South Korean giant Samsung Electronics Co.

       

      Others called on the government to black out the scene where Chopra, who stars as an FBI agent in the series, holds up sacred Hindu prayer beads as evidence that the plotter in the episode, planning to detonate a nuclear bomb in New York, was an Indian nationalist.

       

      “The myth of Hindu terror, by a fake story, enters American television with the help of Priyanka Chopra. Would any Pakistani actress betray Pakistan or Islam the way she betrays India and Hinduism?”, David Frawley, a Hindu scholar based in the United States, tweeted.

       
       

      ABC, in its statement, said Chopra has no involvement in the storylines depicted in the series. “The show has featured antagonists of many different ethnicities and backgrounds, but in this case we inadvertently and regrettably stepped into a complex political issue. It was certainly not our intention to offend anyone,” ABC said in a statement on Friday.

       

      While Priyanka has kept mum about the whole issue, Bangladeshi-American writer Sharbari Ahmed -- who worked on the first season of the show -- has said that she is appalled by the reactions of Indian tweeters.

       
       

      In an interview with Mid-Day Ahmed said, "The swift reaction (to the episode) indicates the state of mind that India is in. It is so similar to the absurd reaction they had to Padmaavat. The idea of nationalism in itself is taking on a problematic colour. It says essentially that I am better than you, my culture and beliefs are superior to yours."

       
       

      Defending Priyanka's silence over the issue, she added, "Priyanka is a smart woman. I doubt she would be involved if the episode was offensive. ABC (the network) would be sensitive to that as well. It is absurd that there is such an uproar about a fictional show."

       

      But in a recently issued statement by the network, it looks like ABC differs from Ahmed's opinion. The network apologised for having stepped into a sensitive political issue.

       
       

      "ABC Studios and the executive producers of Quantico would like to extend an apology to our audience who were offended by the most recent episode, 'The Blood of Romeo.' The episode has stirred a lot of emotion, much of which is unfairly aimed at Priyanka Chopra, who didn’t create the show, nor does she write or direct it. She has no involvement in the casting of the show or the storylines depicted in the series," the ABC statement read.

       

      "Quantico is a work of fiction. The show has featured antagonists of many different ethnicities and backgrounds, but in this case we inadvertently and regrettably stepped into a complex political issue. It was certainly not our intention to offend anyone," it continued.

       

      After the episode, Priyanka Chopra, an Indian, was trolled brutally. Twitter slammed her for the plot and tweets like "shame on you, Priyanka Chopra. Why are you making people dig into your half Christian religion behind your contribution to anti-India/anti-Hindu propaganda? How low you Bollywoodtards will fall for money & fame?" were posted. Some people wrote that Priyanka has 'let down several Indians.'

       

      Here are some tweets.

       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       

      Quantico will go off air after season 3

      Prev Next

      MORE Bollywood ARTICLES

      Being Different Does Not Mean Being Abnormal: Vishal Dadlani

      "I felt honoured to be a part of the video where I got a chance to mingle with these children. They are precious. There is a certain honesty they have and they talk from the heart.

      Being Different Does Not Mean Being Abnormal: Vishal Dadlani

      We're Conditioned To Park Women Into Stereotypes: Singer Sona Mohapatra

      We're Conditioned To Park Women Into Stereotypes: Singer Sona Mohapatra
      Without sounding like a gender discrimination victim, the songstress has urged society to celebrate gender equality and empowerment.

      We're Conditioned To Park Women Into Stereotypes: Singer Sona Mohapatra

      Sushant Singh Rajput Turns Entrepreneur With Innsaei

      Sushant Singh Rajput Turns Entrepreneur With Innsaei
      Actor Sushant Singh Rajput, in partnership with serial entrepreneur Varun Mathur, has made his entrepreneurial debut with the launch of Innsaei Ventures Pvt Ltd.

      Sushant Singh Rajput Turns Entrepreneur With Innsaei

      Disha Patani A Fan Of Priyanka Chopra

      Disha Patani A Fan Of Priyanka Chopra
      Disha Patani, who will share screen space with Priyanka Chopra in the upcoming film "Bharat", says she is a big fan of the actor.

      Disha Patani A Fan Of Priyanka Chopra

      Big B Delighted To Have Worked With Smita Patil

      Big B Delighted To Have Worked With Smita Patil
      Megastar Amitabh Bachchan says he is delighted to have worked with late veteran actors Smita Patil and Om Prakash. 

      Big B Delighted To Have Worked With Smita Patil

      TV Actor Rajeev Khandelwal's Mother Loses Battle With Cancer

      TV Actor Rajeev Khandelwal's Mother Loses Battle With Cancer
      Well-known television actor Rajeev Khandelwal's mother Vijay Laxmi Khandelwal, who was suffering from cancer, has died, said the actor on Friday.

      TV Actor Rajeev Khandelwal's Mother Loses Battle With Cancer

      PrevNext