While Netflix Plays Stubborn, Amazon Prime Turns On The Family Filter For Hindi Content

Amazon Prime Video self-censors content on its video streaming platform in India, reports Livemint. However, movies which are screened in cinemas with PG13 certification, can be watched uncensored on Netflix.

The report cites various movies like The Dirty Picture, in which the content appears to be self-censored. The Vidya Balan-starrer based on actress Silk Smitha has various deleted sex scenes and naughty dialogues muted in cinemas as well as Amazon Prime. The runtime of this PG13 rated movie on Prime Video is shorter by 17 minutes than Netflix, where the film runs for 2 hours 24 minutes.

Another example is the 2015 sex comedy, Hunterrr, which runs nine minutes shorter on Prime Video than Netflix. The movie omits various scenes on Prime and carries a PG13 certificate.

In 2018, multiple public interest litigations (PIL) were filed demanding regulations over OTT content. While there is no agreement among OTT players in India on whether a new body should censor or an existing regulator should do the job or it should be left to the discretion of streaming services.

The Chief Operation Officer of Eros Now, Ali Hussein said, “We will follow the law of the land. Whatever we do will be identified jointly as a group.” In India, censorship on these video-streaming platforms will remain in a grey area due to the number of firms, Hussein adds.