KARACHI: A Pakistani video streaming platform airing ‘Sevak: The Confessions’ on Tuesday encouraged people to watch the web show, saying they were 'saddened' that the production had been banned by the Indian government while the show's writer said the blockade would lead to more "publicity and curiosity" for the drama.
Sevak, comprising eight episodes, is a Pakistani production that focuses on minority rights in India between 1984 to 2022. The first episode streamed on the Pakistan-based OTT platform, Vidly.tv, on November 26, 2022, marking the anniversary of the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 that New Delhi blames on Pakistani militants. Islamabad has always denied state complicity.
The Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting this week issued directions to block Vidly’s website, two mobile applications, four social media accounts, and one smart TV app, saying the series was “detrimental to national security, sovereignty and the integrity of India” and “portrayed an anti-India narrative on sensitive historical events and subjects of national importance.”
Human rights defenders and international bodies have for decades accused Pakistan of violence against and persecution of minorities. The government says it treats all citizens equally. Advocates also say attacks on members of minority communities, including killings, assaults, and intimidation, have grown in India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP party.
“We are shocked and saddened by the banning of the series, especially by a country that propagates and believes in freedom of expression and has always spoken up against banning of films,” Izhar Khan, a senior product manager at Vidly.tv, told Arab News.
“We do not quite understand the silencing of a story that is based and inspired by true events ... Banning a murder mystery action thriller because it is based in India and inspired by true events does not make sense to us,” Khan added.
The Vidly representative said the makers had told the story with “responsibility” and encourages the public to watch it and judge for themselves if the Indian government’s reaction was justified: “We will be holding conversations to create a realization that the series is being misunderstood.”
Sevak’s writer Saji Gul said he wrote the series because of ahis personal interest in the history of the subcontinent and issues surrounding Pakistan’s neighboring country, India.
“Online platforms allow for creative liberty, television does not,” he said. “This is the reason [I] was inclined to write a script on the subject at hand.”
Gul said he had feared the series would ignite censorship issues. However, he added that the ban would lead to more "publicity and curiosity" among viewers.
“Regional ban doesn’t make any difference on the web. It is for a global audience and there are various ways to access it,” Gul told Arab News on Tuesday, adding that the ban meant the series had done its job.
