Freedom fighter's daughter sees red over game show ad

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"Tum mujhe khoon do main tumhe azadi doonga,'' said Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. But a television promo for the forthcoming Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) 4 using the words immortalized by Bose to stir national pride during the freedom struggle has not gone down well with a Mumbai resident.

Parveen Abdi, the daughter of a freedom fighter, sent the Sony CEO and Amitabh Bachhan a legal notice last week. She is seeking withdrawal of the promo and an "apology'' for the alleged "flippant portrayal'' of words of a national icon.

She said she was surprised to find that the "tenor and the surrounding circumstances in which this slogan has been used in the promo is extremely flippant and derogatory to the national hero and reeks of mockery and disdain''.

Abdi said she is "anguished'' at the ignorance depicted and over the manner in which the promo "starts with showing children being oblivious of the slogan and goes on to highlight the appalling and comical ignorance of parents''.

Abdi said just like many valiant soldiers, her family members too had joined Netaji's Indian National Army (INA). Born and brought up "on nationalist fervour as the daughter and granddaughter of veteran freedom fighters Late M N Abdi and Syed Mehdi Abdi, advocate Goya Sodhi said, "My client (Abdi) is pained to see national icons and their cherished mottos being used in such cavalier fashion to promote commercial interests.'' There has been no reply to the notice so far.

Siddharth Basu of Synergy who is also the director of the quiz show said, "We don't make the promos of the show. This question should be directed to Sony. There was no intention to offend. The promo is not flippant. In fact, the message it sends is not to treat any question as trivial.'' Sony's spokesperson said that they have received no notice yet. Amitabh Bachchan was not available for comment.