Reno, NV…Upset Hindus are urging Warner Bros not to trivialize highly revered Hindu deity Lord Shiva in its upcoming anime television (TV) series “Record of Ragnarok”, calling it highly inappropriate. Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Lord Shiva was meant to be worshipped in temples and home shrines and not to be thrown around loosely or dragged around unnecessarily in anime TV series for mercantile greed.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, indicated that Hindu gods and goddesses were divine and entertainment companies were welcome to create projects about/around them showing their true depiction as mentioned in the Hindu scriptures. Inappropriately reimagining Hindu deities/concepts/scriptures/symbols/icons and redefining Hinduism for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the feelings of devotees.

Rajan Zed urged Warner Media CEO Jason Kilar; WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group CEO Ann Sarnoff; and Warner Bros. Worldwide Home Entertainment President Jim Wuthrich; to seriously look into this issue before launching its upcoming anime TV series production “Record of Ragnarok”, reportedly set to premiere in 2021.

Zed stated that Hindus were for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt the adherents.

Besides hurting the sentiments, any misrepresentation created confusion among non-Hindus about Hinduism. Insensitive handling of faith traditions sometimes resulted in pillaging serious spiritual doctrines and revered symbols; Rajan Zed pointed out.

Zed further said that Hindus welcomed entertainment world to immerse in Hinduism but taking it seriously and respectfully and not for refashioning Hinduism concepts and symbols for personal agendas. Attempts at distorting of Hindu gods and goddesses would be slighting of ancient Hindu traditions. He or other Hindu scholars would gladly help if industry needed any assistance in exploring Hinduism, Zed added.

Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.2 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken frivolously. No faith, larger or smaller, should be mishandled, Rajan Zed noted.

According to reports, in this TV series directed by Masao Okubo; Lord Shiva (voiced by Tatsuhisa Suzuki) would be shown participating in a one-on-one fighting match with humans.