Netflix India finds itself embroiled in controversy over a BBC drama kiss between a Hindu and a Muslim

The New York Times

"On television, Lata and Kabir are clandestine lovers thwarted by faith and history. She is Hindu and he a Muslim in India in the early 1950s, in the wake of bloody sectarian clashes that echo through the country to this day," reports The New York Times' Emily Schmall. "At one point, in a secluded spot with a Hindu temple as the backdrop, the two young college students share a furtive but passionate kiss. In the real world, that onscreen kiss has embroiled Netflix, the American streaming service, in the increasingly bitter and religiously charged world of Indian politics. Members of the Hindu nationalist party that controls India’s central government have asked the authorities to investigate Netflix, calling the scene in the television series A Suitable Boy offensive to their beliefs. They have also called on Indians to boycott the streaming service. Netflix is not likely to face serious legal trouble, experts say. But the campaign puts pressure on the streaming service at a time when the government is increasing censorship of what Indians watch online." ALSO: Watch the trailer for A Suitable Boy, which premieres makes its U.S. debut on Acorn TV on Dec. 7.