Sony LIV's web series Undekhi has caused a furore on social media. The thriller that stars Harsh Chhaya, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Abhishek Chauhan primarily was well-received by the fans when the promo was released. However, its weird publicity and promotional gimmick has angered the Twitterati. For the uninitiated, Mumbai Police had warned against a number starting from 140 stating it was fraudulent. However, after figuring out that it was actually a promotional call by the channel, they were blasted and now Sony LIV has issued apology statement for causing trouble. Mobile Number Starting With 140 is Fake, Don't Take Calls as You May Lose Money From Bank Accounts, Warn Mumbai Police.

The Twitterati panicked when they received such frequent calls. "If you receive the call, your bank account will become empty," a policeman can be heard saying in Marathi in one such video. They even complained that the caller claimed that he had witnessed a murder and that he is being chased by some people. This gimmick that Sony thought was 'thrilling' in nature, received major backlash for their insensitive way of promoting a thriller. Mumbai Police also slammed the makers. Undekhi Review: Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Surya Sharma Impress in SonyLIV's Arresting Crime Series.

Mumbai Police's Tweet:

Sony Liv later issued an apology on Twitter that read, "If you have received a call for our show Undekhi & it has disturbed you we would like to sincerely apologise to you. This was a test activity which has gone out accidentally & our intention was not to cause any kind of discomfort or panic. We sincerely regret any inconvenience." Check out this tweet and the reactions of the disgusted netizens over this promotional strategy.

Sony LIV's Tweet:

Panicked Reactions:

Twitter User Shares Recording

Another Twitter User Shares It Calling It Ridiculous

The Ashish R Shukla directed series revolves around the exact plot that the makers were scaring people with. A character spots a murder happening and then gets chased by the powerful people as he is the witness to the scene. Well, that indeed was an unpleasant way of coaxing viewers to watch their content!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 10, 2020 10:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).