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WORLD October 6, 1999 VNN4875 Related VNN Stories 'Xena' Offends Hindus FROM NEW YORK POST USA, Oct 6 (VNN) — New York Post - August 24, 1999 By MICHAEL STARR A Hindu group is accusing producers of "Xena: Warrior Princess" of breaking a promise - by repeating a controversial episode some Hindus found offensive the first time around. The episode, called "The Way," caused an outcry when it aired last March because it showed hard-charging Xena (Lucy Lawless) head-butting the Hindu holy figure Sri Hanuman and befriending Lord Krishna. Both of these sacred Hindu deities eventually strike up a friendship with the scantily clad Xena and her busty sidekick Gabrielle. Some Hindus objected to the episode, saying it wasn't right to depict these figures in an entertainment show like "Xena." The episode was re-edited to remove some of the offending material and had been scheduled to re-air on Sept. 4 (11:30 p.m. on Ch.11) - but some Hindu groups are still outraged. "This is a dishonest strategy," said Tusta Krishnadas of the World Vaishnava Association. Not so, says Renaissance Pictures, which produces "Xena." "We pulled the episode after protests from some segments of the Hindu community," Renaissance said in a statement. Sunil Aghi, a spokesman for the Indo-Americans Political Foundation - a Hindu political group based in Los Angeles - says he personally met with "Xena" executive producer Rob Tapert. "They edited out the head-butting scene," he said. Related VNN Stories  Comment on this storyContact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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