The Kerala High Court, in its recent order, has directed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to immediately address the violations of its advisories, pertaining to the popular reality television show Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 6. A division bench of justices A Muhamed Mustaque and MA Abdul Hakhim passed the order on April 11, while hearing a petition filed by Advocate Adarsh S alleging that the reality show violated broadcasting regulations and advisories of the Union government by broadcasting visuals of physical assault. He also sought to immediately stop broadcasting the show on Asianet and remove it from all social media and OTT platforms.
In a recent episode, one of the contestants - Sijo John - was physically assaulted by Haseeb SK alias Asi Rocky during an altercation between them. Rocky was expelled soon after.
The court observed that the “matter raises a serious concern” and directed the Union Government represented by the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to immediately address the violations of advisories if necessary by instructing the party respondents to “desist from telecasting such shows in the electronic media”.
Adarsh, in his plea, had stated that the physical assault was a criminal offence and was in violation of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and Cinematograph Act, 1952 and its broadcast was violative of the Information Technology Act, 2000. “Broadcasting violent or assaultive content without appropriate context may not only distress viewers but also have wider society implications. Such content could potentially incite violence, promote aggression, and erode moral values thereby endangering public safety and morality”, he said in the plea, according to a LiveLaw report.
The show has also come under fire for improper portrayal of the queer community. Dhisha Kerala – an organisation dedicated to defending the rights of women, children, and queer individuals – has filed a complaint to the Broadcast Content Complaints Council (BCCC) after a contestant named Abhishek Sreekumar made a statement against fellow contestant Abhishek K Jaydeep, a gay man. When nominating Abhishek Jaydeep for eviction from the house, Abhishek Sreekumar alleged that the former belongs to a community which conducts “immoral activities” and “targets women and children”.