The Empire: Hotstar in a soup over release of web show

After #BoycottMyntra, #UninstallHotstar is trending with over 43k tweets on the microblogging site Twitter, ‘hurting’ some religious sentiments. The online streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar fell in trouble with the release of their web show ‘The Empire’, and is now being put through the dreaded social media trial.

Studded with an impressive star cast, right from Shabana Azmi, Dino Morea, to Rahul Dev and Kunal Kapoor, among others, this historic drama traces the story of Babur’s empire from Uzbekistan’s Fergana to Samarkand and beyond.

The web show based on Alex Rutherford’s “Empire of the Moghul: Raiders from the north,” is being criticized for glamorizing the rule of the Mughal emperor Babur. What started off with an objection to glorifying India’s past during the reign of the Islamic invader, soon turned into an ‘Uninstall the App’ campaign.

Fans were critical of the show right since the trailer had first come out and had filed grievance complaints against the series which led to the Twitter trend #UninstallHotstar. The grievance officer appointed under Information Technology Rules, 2021 reportedly rejected complaints stating that the series is not glorifying Babur and Hotstar claimed that the show does not in any way make reference to the 2019 Supreme Court judgement in favour of Ram Lalla Virajman at the Ram Janmabhoomi temple where the Babri Masjid once stood.

Reacting to the series, a twitter user Tarun Gautam wrote, “My reaction after watching #TheEmpire #UninstallHotstar stop glorifying babur and mughals.”

“Glorifying invaders of India who looted, killed, converted and destroy our temple. Ban Hotstar Stop making generation fools by distorting the History,” posted another twitter user.

“The killers of Hindus will be praised on Hotstar. The barbaric tribes that trampled, ruined Indian civilization will be described as magnificent and great. Such provocative material that wounds the society needs to be nailed,” tweeted Hitesh Shankar, editor of Panchjanya, an Indian weekly magazine published by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, in Hindi.

While most urged netizens to uninstall the streaming app, there were others who mocked such people saying that these will be the first ones to reinstall the app in September to watch the Indian Premier League. Twitterati also shared memes saying that other OTT platforms would be rejoicing looking at this top trend.

Also Read: Here’s why #BoycottMyntra is trending on Twitter