In a sweeping crackdown on digital obscenity, the Government of India has banned 25 Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms, including ALTT, ULLU, and Desiflix, for streaming “obscene and vulgar content.” The move, backed by legal provisions and years of persistent activism, marks a significant milestone in India’s efforts to regulate online content deemed culturally corrosive or harmful to public morality.
While the action has been widely hailed by various civil society organisations, it has also sparked clarifications and statements from prominent figures, notably filmmaker and media producer Ektaa Kapoor, whose name has been widely associated with ALTT.
Ektaa Kapoor Responds: “No association with ALTT since 2021”
Following widespread media coverage naming ALTT among the blocked platforms, Ektaa Kapoor issued a public clarification distancing herself and her mother, Shobha Kapoor, from any ongoing involvement with the platform. In a statement shared on her official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Kapoor said, “Media reports have been in circulation about ALTT being disabled by the authorities; however, contrary to such reports, Ms. Ektaa Kapoor and Mrs. Shobha Kapoor are not associated in any capacity whatsoever with ALTT and they had stepped down from their association with ALTT way back in June 2021.”
To Whomsoever It May Concern pic.twitter.com/nKgKhldtbj
— Ektaa R Kapoor (@EktaaRKapoor) July 25, 2025
The statement further clarified that ALTT is now operated by Balaji Telefilms Limited, a publicly listed entity on the BSE and NSE. “Following the recent amalgamation of ALT Digital Media Entertainment Ltd. (previously its wholly owned subsidiary) duly approved by the Hon’ble NCLT, it operates ALTT w.e.f. June 20, 2025,” the statement said.
Kapoor emphasised that Balaji Telefilms remains fully compliant with all applicable laws and operates with “the highest standards of corporate governance.”
Notably, ALTT remains among the 25 OTT platforms that were blocked for content violations under multiple Indian laws. The other banned platforms include ULLU, Big Shots App, Desiflix, Boomex, Navarasa Lite, Gulab App, Kangan App, Bull App, Jalva App, ShowHit, Wow Entertainment, Look Entertainment, Hitprime, Feneo, ShowX, Sol Talkies, Adda TV, HotX VIP, Hulchul App, MoodX, NeonX VIP, Fugi, Mojflix, and Triflicks.
Legal basis of the ban
The government’s decision to disable the websites and apps of these platforms, some of which were also removed from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, is grounded in a range of legal provisions. These include:
- Section 67 and 67A of the Information Technology Act
- IT Rules (2021)
- Section 294 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (2023)
- The Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986
These laws criminalise the publication or transmission of sexually explicit content, particularly when it targets vulnerable audiences, mocks family values, or misuses sacred symbols, especially within Indian cultural or religious contexts.
A long campaign for the Ban
The ban did not occur in isolation but is the result of a sustained and coordinated campaign led by civil society groups such as Gems of Bollywood and Save Culture Save Bharat (SCSB). The movement was spearheaded by Uday Mahurkar, a former Central Information Commissioner and founder of SCSB, along with social activist and author Sanjeev Newar.
The genesis of the movement dates back to 2021, when disturbing clips from Indian OTT platforms began to go viral on X. One particularly controversial clip from ALTBalaji’s XXX Season 2 portrayed explicit sexual scenes involving a man with his sister-in-law, mother, and grandmother. Though ALTBalaji initially dismissed it as a “dream sequence,” public outrage forced further scrutiny.
Using name of Balaji, Mataji to sell this filth targeted at religious Hindu family – incest with sister to grandmother!
Just one of the countless #BollywoodKiGandagi on AltBalaji, easily accessible to your kids for Rs 300 annually!#GandiNaaliKeKeedepic.twitter.com/uYu3mtlLwz
— Ge(r)ms of Bollywood बॉलीवुड के रत्न (@GemsOfBollywood) July 20, 2023
Sanjeev Newar filed an official complaint under the three-tier OTT grievance redressal mechanism. Despite multiple delays and resistance from entertainment industry insiders in the review committees, the Grievance Redressal Board ultimately ruled in his favour, prompting ALTBalaji to quietly remove the offending scene.
IMPORTANT VICTORY for @GemsOfBollywood Yajna:
Please read completely.The Grievance Redressal Board has ruled in favor of @SanjeevSanskrit, our founder in matter against explicit incestual scenes in @EktaaRKapoor's #AltBalaji series XXX.
The scenes showed a Hindu man having… pic.twitter.com/yi1CeIiSX3
— Ge(r)ms of Bollywood बॉलीवुड के रत्न (@GemsOfBollywood) March 21, 2024
However, the activists realised that the redressal process was insufficient to address the systemic problem. In response, Save Culture Save Bharat intensified their efforts, organising events, drafting petitions, and engaging with government bodies. In 2023, a high-profile press conference at the Prime Minister’s Museum and Library showcased a white paper on OTT obscenity and screened the controversial XXX clip to the press and public. Several journalists walked out in protest due to the graphic nature of the content.
Support and momentum
Momentum grew further in February 2024 when Hindu Janajagruti Samiti joined the campaign. At a public meeting in Mumbai attended by Swati Goel Sharma, Uday Mahurkar, and Ramesh Shinde, speakers called for legal amendments and regulatory reforms. Mahurkar demanded that:
- OTT obscenity be classified as an anti-national activity
- Such offences be made cognizable and non-bailable
- Biometric age-gating using Aadhaar be implemented
- A mandatory Code of Ethics be enforced for all OTT platforms
Activists also cited multiple criminal cases where rapists reportedly confessed to being influenced by explicit content available on these apps, often easily accessible even to school children due to minimal pricing and no age verification.
While addressing National Conference against perverted content makers on OTT, social media & other platforms under #SaveCultureSaveNation Mission I said nation should unite & penalise those misusing such platforms & destroying our culture to earn easy money before it is too late. pic.twitter.com/tr7nDizdcO
— Uday Mahurkar (@UdayMahurkar) March 12, 2023
ULLU app’s IPO controversy and legal action
A turning point in the campaign came when ULLU, one of the most controversial platforms, attempted to go public with a Rs 160 crore IPO. Mahurkar and former NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo raised red flags about ULLU’s easy accessibility, lack of content regulation, and use of sexually explicit material targeting vulnerable viewers.
Kanoongo formally approached the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Google, while Mahurkar alerted the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), pointing to hidden criminal cases against the app’s promoter, Vibhu Agarwal.
Finally Banned by Government
I&B ministry has taken action and ban 18 OTT vulgar apps. It was required. This is right step to restrict vulgar content.
But one question why ULLU not on this list.
Is this because they have filed for IPO with SEBI?#SEBI #ullu #entertainment pic.twitter.com/9finwlqIfZ— Anshul Garg (@AnshulGarg1986) March 14, 2024
These efforts led to a multi-agency investigation into ULLU’s practices, which ultimately resulted in the derailment of its IPO plans. The apps were also found to have potential foreign links, including with Dubai-based entities, and allegedly employed illegal artists.
Supreme Court petition and demand for revoking Ektaa Kapoor’s Padma Shri
In April 2025, a group of eminent social activists, including Sanjeev Newar, Swati Goel Sharma, and Uday Mahurkar, filed a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court. The petition, drafted by senior advocates Hari Shankar Jain and Vishnu Jain, named the Centre, OTT platforms, and digital intermediaries as respondents.
Simultaneously, 108 lawyers submitted a letter to the President of India demanding the revocation of Ektaa Kapoor’s Padma Shri award, citing her alleged role in normalising incest and promoting vulgarity through her platform.
The Supreme Court admitted the petition and issued notices to concerned ministries, marking a pivotal legal development in the campaign against OTT obscenity.
Victory for activists and the nation-building idea
On July 25, 2025, the government finally acted. The bans were enforced across 26 websites and 14 mobile apps.
Reacting to the move, Uday Mahurkar issued an emotional and detailed message on X, thanking his colleagues and supporters. He wrote, “This is a major victory for Save Culture Save Bharat, Gems of Bollywood, and crores of patriotic Indians who supported us in our mission to make Bharat a great nation by putting down perverted content, which is destroying the young generation.”
He also credited a spiritual guide, referred to as “Margdarshak” for motivating him to pursue the campaign and forego official positions for the cause. Mahurkar emphasised the cultural stakes, stating, “These apps spread perverted content, often using Hindu family setups and symbols, and were easily accessible even to children… This is not just commerce; it was civilisational sabotage.”
While the ban represents a landmark moment in India’s cultural and legal landscape, activists assert that more work remains. They continue to call for stronger laws, more proactive enforcement, and a broader debate on the moral responsibility of content creators.
What is the real victory in the ban on 25 OTTs?
So right before our eyes, a company named after Lord Balaji – Alt Balaji, later rebranded as Altt – became known for vulgar explicit content. Even showed sexual scenes between a man and her dadi, mother in law, bhabhi and sister.… pic.twitter.com/cQo9NxfVuh
— Swati Goel Sharma (@swati_gs) July 27, 2025
This latest crackdown is more than a legal win, it marks a cultural reset. For years, certain corners of Bollywood, under the garb of artistic freedom, have peddled content that is far removed from the ethos of Bharatiya civilisation. Platforms like ALTBalaji, with their pornographic and morally degrading web series, have deliberately targeted the youth with narratives that glorify lust, deceit, and deviance, often mocking traditional Indian values in the process. This not only distorts the image of India on global platforms but also corrodes the moral compass of future generations.
While creators like Ekta Kapoor now try to distance themselves from their own content under pressure, the damage caused by such “third-class entertainment” cannot be ignored. The need of the hour is to promote storytelling that aligns with the richness of Indian culture, stories of sacrifice, family, devotion, valour, and truth.
The victory of the activists in this case sends a strong message: India will not let its cultural fabric be trampled in the name of creative liberty. It is time Bollywood introspects, reforms, and remembers its roots before further alienating the very audience it seeks to serve.
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