Amazon Prime show 'Tandav' faces calls for a ban in India - CNN

Several Indian politicians say they have complained to the police or regulators about the company and the show's creators.

The title is a political drama that has been likened to the hit Netflix (NFLX) series "House of Cards." It was released last Friday on Amazon's streaming service and boasts some of Bollywood's biggest names, including celebrity director Ali Abbas Zafar and actor Saif Ali Khan.

The show follows a power-hungry politician who is willing to do anything to become the country's prime minister.

Manoj Kotak, a member of parliament from Mumbai, said Sunday on Twitter that he has written to the country's Minister of Information and Broadcasting urging him to "ban [the] controversial web series."

Kotak, who is a member of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said that the show's creators appeared to be "deliberately mocking Hindu Gods."

CNN Business has requested comment from both Amazon and Zafar, the director of the series, but has yet to receive a response.

But Zafar expressed "sincere apologies" on Twitter on Monday, posting a statement from Tandav's cast and crew.

"The cast and crew of 'Tandav' take cognizance of the concerns expressed by the people and unconditionally apologize if it has unintentionally hurt anybody's sentiments," the statement read.

Police initiated a separate investigation on Sunday in the state of Uttar Pradesh against Zafar, as well as Aparna Purohit, Amazon's chief of Indian original Prime Video content, according to a media adviser for the state's chief minister.

The series has also been hit by negative reviews on Amazon, which claim that the show promotes a "Hindu-phobic agenda" or comes across as "anti-Hindu."

A critical market

India is a crucial market for Amazon.