Laado’s DM makes I & B ministry see red - Article

Colors is slapped with another I & B notice and this time it's for their fiction show Na aana iss des laado

The channel will have to explain why their show shouldn't be taken off air for depicting a District Magistrate as corrupt and a womanizer. Colors is given 15 days to respond to this notice. Failure to do so would then lead the ministry to take further action.

In these episodes, the District Magistrate, played by actor Deep Raj Rana, is in Veerpur to investigate the cases of female foeticide but he turns corrupt and starts blackmailing the accused Ammaji (Meghna Malik). Not only he takes bribe but he also orders Ammaji to arrange for sexual favours.

The notice says the magistrate has been shown in a bad light and negatively. The Ministry noted that the magistrate's lust for women defies any logic. In fact, in one of the episodes women are paraded before him on his request.

"The entire characterization appears to be a grotesque caricature of a district administrator. There is no denial of the fact that portrayal of a public authority in a negative role is well within the rights of a creative medium. However in the democratic set up of our country, a District Magistrate is the chief representative of the Government at the District level. Thus deliberately portraying the character of the District Magistrate in a derogatory way appears to demean the public institution and bring it to disrepute unnecessarily," the notice said.

Colors official refused to comment at this moment.

Deep Raj Rana, the man at the centre of this controversy isn't overtly surprised by this reaction.

"Honestly speaking, I'm not surprised by this notice. If the ministry has find fault then perhaps they may be right somewhere. I too was a little apprehensive about the womanizing part of my character. I've played negative role in the past where I've raped and killed people. However, I must state this is a serial and I'm merely enacting the character given to me by the writers."

This is not the first time thatlaado has courted controversy. Not too long ago the Haryana government had sent a letter to the I & B ministry objecting to the show's content. They felt that the show was depicting their state in bad light. Fearing action, the show makers had then curbed the use of the Haryanvi language.

So, will there be changes to Rana's character now?

"There's no need for that. From hereon, there won't be any womanising track. DM will merely look to even scores with Ammaji. So, it will purely be a battle between Ammaji and DM," said Rana.

desi**fo***s.com

thanks a lot for the article

Thanks for the article!

Good lord, I didn't know people were so jobless out there that they'd sit and get offended by soap characters. So what if DM is negative - a lot of movies and shows portray policemen, lawyers, politicians, etc as corrupted and deceitful people. What's the big deal if this show did that too? 😕

Thanks for the article, Abi.


I guess reality is a bit hard to digest for the authorities. People like the DM do exist. And like Sarah mentioned, if movies can depict a Chief Minister in bad light, why not the telly shows.

lol man people honestly have nothing better to do.

such big ministers at the central and state levels in India are found out to be corrupt.. even they are supposed to be the representatives of the people...and in fact, are supposed to guard the interests of the people..

the portrayal of the DM's character is not that big an issue.... such people are definitely there...what is the big deal...why so much of hue and cry????

This shows that these politicians and bureaucrats have nothing else to do. Saachai kadvi hoti hai. They are not showing every DM is a womanizer, but this one is. Such people exist in real life and take advantage of their positions.