NHRC: Act against Ranbir, Netflix over vaping scene in series

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Mumbai Police following a complaint about a Netflix web series. The complaint alleges that actor Ranbir Kapoor was shown using a banned e-cigarette (or vape) in an episode of “The Ba***ds of Bollywood” without any warning or disclaimer.

Filed by Vinay Joshi of the Legal Rights Observatory, the complaint argues that this depiction glamorises an illegal product and could negatively influence young viewers, thereby violating Indian law and harming public health.

The NHRC, acting under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, observed that the allegations amounted to serious violations of law. It observed that the scene appeared to contravene the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019, which banned the storage, use and promotion of e-cigarettes.

The Bench presided over by member Priyank Kanoongo has directed the I&B Secretary to take appropriate action to prohibit such content immediately. The Mumbai Police Commissioner has been asked to investigate the roles of the actors, producers and Netflix, which includes identifying the manufacturers and importers of the e-cigarettes used.

This investigation could lead to an FIR being lodged against Kapoor, the production house and the streaming platform. Both authorities have been given two weeks to submit an action taken report to the Commission.