Close X
    Friday, November 29, 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

      Bipasha, Karan Have ‘Sweet Tooth'

      Actress Bipasha Basu says she and her husband Karan Singh Grover have a sweet tooth but the fitness enthusiasts believe in the balancing act.

      Bipasha, Karan Have ‘Sweet Tooth'

      Pooja Bhatt Gets Into Introspection Mood

      Actress-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt yearns to go back to the time when safety was a norm and people were "truly kind" to each other.

      Pooja Bhatt Gets Into Introspection Mood

      More Rape Cases Being Reported Is A Good Thing, Says Naseeruddin Shah

      More Rape Cases Being Reported Is A Good Thing, Says Naseeruddin Shah
      Iconic actor Naseeruddin Shah who feels disturbed about the recent barbaric rape and murder cases of young girls, says that more rape cases are reported to police and media these days, as compared to earlier, which is "a positive sign".

      More Rape Cases Being Reported Is A Good Thing, Says Naseeruddin Shah

      Ranbir Kapoor Doesn't Think His Life Is ‘Inspiring'

      Ranbir Kapoor Doesn't Think His Life Is ‘Inspiring'
      Actor Ranbir Kapoor says he won't mind someone making a film on his life, but he feels it's not inspiring enough.

      Ranbir Kapoor Doesn't Think His Life Is ‘Inspiring'

      Human Beings Versus Stereotypes: Indian-American Actor Vandit Bhatt On Breaking Cliches

      Human Beings Versus Stereotypes: Indian-American Actor Vandit Bhatt On Breaking Cliches
      Indian-American actor Vandit Bhatt says there were many misrepresentations about people of colour, but they are being wiped out due to increasing conversations around inclusion.

      Human Beings Versus Stereotypes: Indian-American Actor Vandit Bhatt On Breaking Cliches

      It's Just A Bend, Not The End: Ranbir Kapoor On Career Choices

      It's Just A Bend, Not The End: Ranbir Kapoor On Career Choices
      Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor, who has showcased his versatility in a variety of roles but whose recent films have not fared well at the box office, says he keeps reminding himself that it is just a bend and not the end.

      It's Just A Bend, Not The End: Ranbir Kapoor On Career Choices

      PrevNext