Indian television channel NDTV broadcast a blank screen for an hour on Sunday night after the government censored the BBC-produced documentary India’s Daughter.
The response to NDTV was mixed for taking a stand against government censorship of a film that asked questions about the attitudes towards women in Indian society.
Meanwhile, an activist was jailed for screening the film for a village audience of around 60 men, women, and children near the northern city of Agra.
The controversial documentary, which aired on BBC 4 as part of the Storyville series on 4 March and remains available on BBC iPlayer, was censored in India after allegations that it was offensive towards women and would cause a public outcry.
Filmmaker Leslee Udwin rejected the claims of the Indian government that the film is derogatory towards women as well as allegations that she breached a contract with the prison by airing an interview with convicted rapist Mukesh Singh. He is facing the death penalty for his part in the rape and murder of a medical student on a bus in Delhi in 2012, which sparked protests across India.
