India’s largest streaming platform muted a surprising scene from The White Lotus’s season three—and it wasn’t one involving incest. Streamer JioHotstar discreetly removed the first episode scene where Belinda’s son Zion, played by Nicholas Duvernay, hurls profanities at a Buddha statue, according to IndieWire, which reports that premium users noticed the tweak right away. HBO was reportedly unaware the scene would appear edited on the platform, according to the site’s sourcing. IndieWire quotes the former Head of Films for Netflix India Srishti Behl as calling the move “smart business,” as viewership in the country runs counter to some American sensibilities. “My duty as an executive was to lure more subscribers to the platform, and not push them away,” Behl said. “I would rather stream The White Lotus sans a small scene over not watching The White Lotus on any streaming platform at all.” While theatrical releases in the country are regulated by the government, OTT platforms are not officially censored.
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