The viral clip from Ullu App’s show ‘House Arrest’ has ignited a new debate online. Yes! The one that came into discussion during ‘India’s Got Latent’ controversy as well – where does it all stop?
OTT is now a big part of the film business. The penetration of films being released on the big screen may be on a large scale, but the craze of OTT has reached most homes now. However, despite such easy accessibility and demand, the societal responsibility of these platforms has not been decided yet. Even now, the process of serving content on such apps in an irresponsible manner continues. After such said and done, obscenity, vulgar content and usage of abusive language have been normalised through OTT. After the ‘India’s Got Latent’ controversy, a clip from Ullu app’s reality show ‘House Arrest’ has created a ruckus on and off social media. This show, full of obscene content, has sparked anger among people. After social media outrage, demands to ban this show have been made. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi has also given her reaction on this controversy and now, the issue has become political.
What is the matter related to the Ullu app?
Ullu app’s new OTT web series ‘House Arrest’ is being hosted by ex-Bigg Boss contestant Ajaz Khan, who has also been to jail several times. Surprisingly, the actor, who was accused of drug cases, even tried his luck in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Last week, his wife was also released after spending 6 months in jail. Coming from such people, Khan’s reality show is also full of vulgarity. From discussing the Kamasutra to adultery, the show is really a teenager’s parents’ worst nightmare. However, not just the host, even the participants of the show are involved in this obscenity. From women to men, no one is seen opposing it. Recently, the controversy of ‘India’s Got Latent’ came into discussion. Due to the objectionable comments made on the show, the show was banned, its hosts were booked and social media was at its peak rage. But no such actions can be noticed in the ‘House Arrest’ case. Maybe also because monitoring and OTT censorship is still a pending case in India. However, it’s not the same in the TV and film industries.
Censorship of films
The world of cinema is not divided only based on languages, but the real basis of its division is the quality of work, which decides whether the film will be A grade or should be divided into categories of B and C. All the films released on the big screen are given certification by the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Every film releasing in Indian theatres has to go through this process. First, the filmmakers apply for film certification, then their movies are examined and tested by the team of CBFC and after that, the category is decided. Have a look at the four categories of certification here:
- U: Unrestricted public exhibition, suitable for all age groups.
- U/A: Suitable for all ages, but parental guidance is mandatory for children below 12 years of age.
- A: For adults only.
- S: For a restricted audience, for a certain group of people, the film remains forbidden.
Censorship for content being on air on Indian television
The censor board strict policy for obscene and objectionable content for every content being televised on our small screens. Due to the vigilance of the censor board, makers avoid abusive language and nudity in Indian serials and reality shows. The rules for TV are more strict than films because this content reaches every home and every child. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has set several outlines for the TV content. Apart from this, every TV show is monitored under the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act (1995), and only after that does it go on air. There may be no place for obscene and abusive language on the TV screen, but when it comes to the growing world of OTT, there’s no censorship.
Lack of concrete rules for OTT results in societal irresponsibility time and again
It’s needless to say that cheap internet has spoiled the whole game. Anyone, from children to an elderly person with a 4G or 5G mobile phone in their hands, can watch anything, anywhere and anytime. In such a situation, the process of serving anything and consuming it continues in full swing. There has been no detailed and official announcement yet about the censorship rules on the OTT platform. However, the government has taken steps in this direction and is considering making some rules. The main objective is to control obscene and other objectionable content. Several actions have also been taken in the past years, but still no ban has been implemented. Moreover, new OTT platforms are being launched every day, which spread obscene, erotic and poor content at throwaway prices. Ullu app is at the forefront of this.
The Child Rights Protection Commission had raised the issue
Let us tell you, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights’ notice demanded action against the Ullu app in March last year. In the letter written to the IT Ministry, it read that the Ullu app has a bad effect on school children. Complaints have been received about shows with obscene content on the Ullu app influencing them. It further said that Google Play Store and iOS do not follow any KYC policy or age verification rules. Moreover, the content of the Ullu app violates the POCSO Act, which the Commission has taken cognisance of. Ullu Digital had also applied for IPO on the BSE SME platform. At present, no concrete action has been taken on this matter and pornography is still being traded through this app. Today, the National Commission of Women has also taken action on this matter and issued a notice to the CEO of Ullu app and host Ajaz Khan. Both will have to appear before the commission on April 9.
A look at the Ullu app’s increasing revenue
If we look at the earnings of this app, then its business is growing rapidly. In the financial year 2022-23, this app earned a revenue of Rs 93.1 crore. A year before this, its revenue was Rs 46.8 crore. Yes! The company’s revenue has doubled in a single year. On the one hand, the company is making a profit, but on the other hand the society is suffering losses on a large scale. According to the startup data intelligence platform ‘The Credible’, the company’s founder and CEO, Vibhu Agarwal, holds about 65 per cent stake in the company. Shockingly, over the years, Agrawal has advocated that his app’s pornographic business is justified.
Ullu app is a cypher among figures
Ullu app is not the only platform that serves such pornographic content. Apart from it, several big players have never shied away from serving pornographic content. Kooku app, Prime Flix, Nuefliks, AltBalaji, Hotshot and Rabbit Movie app are known for serving adult content. Bold films and web series are released on these apps indiscriminately. Big celebrity names like Raj Kundra and Ektaa Kapoor are also included in the list of those running such apps. Actions were taken on the cases of both Kundra and Kapoor. While he went to jail, the Balaji Telefilms’ case is still in court. After several appearances in court, only a certain section of content was removed from her app, AltBalaji.
Recently, during a decision, the Supreme Court termed the trend of pornographic content on online platforms as a ‘major concern’ and said that the responsibility of OTT and social media sites should be fixed. The apex court had also issued notices to the central government and OTT platforms Netflix, Amazon Prime, AltBalaji, Ullu Digital, Mubi and social media platforms X Corp, Google, Meta Inc and Apple. Despite being named in the list, Ullu app has dared to back a show like ‘House Arrest’.
18 apps were banned in 2024
For the unversed, most platforms like Ullu app are membership-based streaming platforms and are quite cheap. While a considerable amount has to be paid for platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Zee5, SonyLIV, Jio Hotstar and Netflix, these local apps are quite affordable. Along with an annual subscription, they also have a monthly subscription option. People of any age can watch video content here without any restrictions. This is the big reason why such apps are gaining popularity. Last year, the Government of India took massive action and decided to block 18 OTT apps under the IT Rules 2021. These apps were removed under Section 69a of the IT Act, but even after that, there are several apps which serve obscene content. The least to say here is that until any concrete operation and censorship rules are made for the OTT world, the flow of vulgar content being served online to any age group will be hard to control.
Also Read: NCW summons Ajaz Khan and Ullu app CEO over vulgar and obscene content
