First, Pakistani shows were removed from Indian platforms in the aftermath of the two countries’ military conflicts. Now, the rising public sentiment is that Turkish dramas should be pulled down, following Turkey’s anti-India stance. While Zee5 has already pulled the plug on its Turkish drama catalogue, multiple OTT platforms are contemplating their removal. 

In the past seven-eight years, the dramas became wildly popular in India, with shows like Ertuğrul, Feriha, and Masum amassing a dedicated fan base. In light of recent events, Zee5 quietly removed Relationship Status: It’s Complicated and other series over the past week. An insider reveals, “We’ve been monitoring the sentiment for weeks. While there is no government directive, we made a business decision to avoid a potential backlash. These titles, a part of the Zindagi bouquet, were doing well in Tier-1 and -2 cities, but the risk of reputational damage outweighed the benefits.”