Prime Video has refuted filmmaker Shekhar Kapur’s claims that the platform edited his 1994 film ‘Bandit Queen’ without his permission, stating that the version available for streaming remains unchanged from what was provided by its distributor, NH Studioz.

"Prime Video has not made any edits to the version of the film Bandit Queen currently streaming on the service. The version available on Prime Video is the version provided by the film's distributor, NH Studioz," a spokesperson for Amazon’s streaming platform said in a statement on Monday.

Kapur, in a social media post on March 18, alleged that the streaming version was drastically altered. "The Bandit Queen on #AmazonPrime is unrecognisable from my film. Someone has cut it beyond recognition. And yet it carries my name as Director. And no one asked me! Are we lesser beings than Western Directors? Would they have the guts to cut a Chris Nolan film without his permission?" he wrote.

The critically acclaimed ‘Bandit Queen’ is based on the life of Phoolan Devi, the infamous Chambal dacoit who later became a Member of Parliament. Starring Seema Biswas in the titular role, the film gained international recognition, premiering in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival.

While Kapur has expressed outrage over the alleged modifications, Prime Video’s statement puts the onus on NH Studioz, leaving questions about any alterations to the film unresolved.

The controversy stemmed from Kapur’s praise of Netflix’s mini-series ‘Adolescence’, which he described as next-level storytelling that defies conventional narrative structures. Kapur then wondered if streaming platforms would allow him to make Bandit Queen as he had envisioned it years ago.