Political analyst Mithun Vijay Kumar has slapped Netflix with a legal notice over the use of derogatory remark against Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit Nene in the first episode of The Big Bang Theory's second season. He has demanded the removal of the show from the streaming platform by accusing the content of promoting sexism and misogyny. The episode in question features Jim Parsons aka Sheldon Cooper comparing Aishwarya Rai Bachchan with Madhuri Dixit. In the scene, he calls Aishwarya 'a poor man's Madhuri Dixit.' To which, Kunal Nayyar aka Raj Koothrapalli responds saying, 'Aishwarya Rai is a goddess, by comparison, Madhuri Dixit is a leprous prostitute.'
In the legal notice, Kumar points out that the remarks made by Kunal’s character are not only offensive but also defamatory. He has asked the streamer to remove the episode in question or face legal action for promoting discrimination against women. The legal notice has been sent to Netflix’s office in Mumbai. “It is important to hold companies like Netflix accountable for their actions and to ensure that they are sensitive to the cultural values and sentiments of the communities they serve.“I was deeply troubled by the use of a derogatory term in one of the shows on Netflix – Big Bang Theory. This term was used in reference to the acclaimed actress Madhuri Dixit, and it was not only offensive and deeply hurtful but also showed a lack of regard for her dignity,” Kumar said in a statement. The Big Bang Theory, a CBS sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, premiered in 2007 and concluded in 2019 after a 12-season run. The show revolved around Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon Cooper (Parsons), both physicists at Caltech, who share an apartment; Penny (Kaley Cuoco), a waitress living across the hall; and Leonard and Sheldon’s friends and coworkers, aerospace engineer Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) and astrophysicist Raj Koothrappali (Nayyar). All 12 seasons of the show are available on Netflix.