Ever since it first aired on TV, Pehredaar Piya Ki has consistently shocked and disgusted the audience with its beyond-bizarre plot-line.
Called out for being regressive and promoting child marriage, the show where a 9-year-old boy (played by Affan Khan) is married to an 18-year-old girl (played by Tejaswi Prakash Wayangankar) who becomes his Pehredaar, the show takes cringe to a whole new level. From the boy secretly clicking pictures of the girl to talk about the two of them going on a ‘honeymoon’, almost everything shown in the show is majorly uncomfortable to watch.
After many negative responses from the audience, an online petition started on change.org was signed by more than one lakh people, urging Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani to ban the show. Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) also asked the show to change the time slot from 8.30 pm to 10 pm and even run a disclaimer saying the show doesn’t promote child marriage!
Now, finally, after much outrage, Sony TV has taken the show off the air. Yes, you read that right!
With no episode telecast yesterday i.e. August 28, one of the cast members, Jiten Lalwani confirmed the news to Hindustan Times:
Yes. If the episode hasn’t aired then you know the news is true.
The show was set to take a leap to ward off some of the controversy around the content and this sudden end has shocked the entire cast. Actor Suyyash Rai, one of the cast members, also expressed his shock over this sudden decision by the channel.
If this is happening, then I am shocked. I was waiting to re-enter the show after the leap. Tejaswi is a close friend so I wanted to be a support to her and work with her. I wanted the show to do well as a lot of hard work goes into a show when it is launched. So many people including technicians will lose their jobs when the show shuts.
While the decision to take the show off air is a great one, it should also serve as a warning sign to the entire industry. Instead of producing sub-standard, regressive content, it’s time they exercise their creative muscles and come up with something good!