Netflix's The Bads of Bollywood, Ranbir Kapoor under fire over e-cigarette scene, NHRC seeks action taken report

Actor Ranbir Kapoor and OTT giant Netflix have come under scrutiny after the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) directed Mumbai Police to take action over a scene in the streaming series The Ba***s of Bollywood.

The complaint, filed by the Legal Rights Observatory, alleges that the show featured Kapoor smoking an e-cigarette without any statutory warning or disclaimer. According to complainant Vinay Joshi, the scene amounts to promotion of banned substances under the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019.

NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo told ANI that the commission had examined the complaint and found grounds to proceed.

“In India, under the E-Cigarette Prohibition Act, no person shall promote e-cigarettes. Manufacturing, importing, selling or stocking them is a crime. We have asked the Commissioner of Mumbai Police to register an FIR under the relevant sections and take legal action against the actor, the production company, and the OTT platform,” he said.

The NHRC has also issued notices to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, asking for the scene to be removed and for steps to be taken against those responsible.

The complainant further argued that the scene could mislead young viewers by glamorising e-cigarettes, thereby posing risks to public health and morality.

Netflix and the makers of The Bads of Bollywood are yet to respond to the controversy.

The Bads of Bollywood is written and directed by Aryan Khan.

Released on 18 September, it stars an ensemble cast, including Lakshya Lalwani, Sahher Bambba, Bobby Deol, Raghav Juyal, Anya Singh, Mona Singh, Gautami Kapoor, Manoj Pahwa, Rajat Bedi, Manish Chaudhari, Arshad Warsi, and Vijayant Kohli.