When JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar merged to form JioHotstar, many subscribers were pleased, because it meant one less streaming service to pay for. Nevertheless, this merger has include an unexpected downside. While each platforms previously showcased international content without major alterations, newly added shows are actually being censored for Indian audiences. Existing content stays unaffected, but fresh releases are reportedly facing edits.
Although there was no official confirmation from the streaming platform or its parent company regarding the censorship of international content to align with Indian sensibilities, viewers first noticed the difficulty in an episode of The White Lotus. Within the premiere of the show’s third season, a curse word directed at a Buddha idol was removed, raising concerns about potential content modifications moving forward.
There’s censorship on White Lotus S03E01. This offensive but essential character moment got cut.
byu/ststeja inJioHotstar
Within the Instagram comment section of IGN India’s post claiming JioHotstar is allegedly censoring HBO content, users expressed their disappointment, stating that they’d expected this censorship. One user questioned why they were paying the complete subscription but not receiving the complete experience. One user even compared India to China, arguing that India is now similarly censoring content. “Back to pirating. Can’t take a subscription just to observe censored sh*t,” one said. “That is what I used to be afraid of, and I used to be sure it was going to occur,” one other added. “So why tf I’m paying full price for cut content,” a 3rd wrote.
Meanwhile, users also raised concerns on Reddit about JioHotstar’s authority to act as a censor board. One common sentiment across each platforms is that piracy may change into the go-to solution for bypassing domestic censorship. This has led to speculation on whether India will return to the rampant piracy era of the 2010s. Initially, the uncensored version of the content was available in India, but it surely was later replaced with the edited version.
The comment sections of posts promoting other shows, corresponding to The Last of Us, are also full of frustrated users. Comments like “Change your caption to HBO series with censored version” and “Don’t you dare censor this” reflect the growing discontent. While users are unhappy, the query stays: will Jio Hotstar reconsider its stance on censorship?
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