South Indian actress Nayanthara’s Tamil film ‘Annapoorani’ has been removed from the streaming platform Netflix, sparking a wave of controversy and legal issues.
The decision comes just weeks after the digital premiere of the movie and follows a police complaint filed against the actors, filmmakers, and the streaming service, alleging the film’s derogatory portrayal hurt Hindu sentiments.
Directed by Nilesh Krishnaa, ‘Annapoorani’ tells the story of an ambitious young woman from an orthodox Brahmin family, navigating her path through the culinary world despite facing resistance from her priest father. The film, initially released on December 1 to mixed reviews, made its way to Netflix on December 29.
How Did The ‘Annapoorani’ Controversy Begin?
The trouble began on January 6 when Ramesh Solanki, a Hindu activist and founder of Hindu IT Cell, filed an FIR in Mumbai against various stakeholders, including actors Nayanthara and Jai, director Nilesh Krishnaa, producers from Zee Studios, and Netflix’s head in India, Monika Shergill.
The complaint accused the film of hurting Hindu sentiments, specifically citing a scene where a Hindu priest’s daughter is shown offering namaz to cook chicken biriyani.
The allegations extend to claims of promoting ‘Love Jihad’ and objectionable statements made by a character named Farhan in the film, who asserts that Lord Ram and Sita were meat-eaters. These accusations led to widespread social media outrage, with calls for the film’s removal from Netflix.
Zee Studios Issues Apology
Responding to the controversy, Zee Studios, one of the co-producers of ‘Annapoorani,’ issued a letter to Vishwa Hindu Parishad on January 9, expressing their intent to collaborate with Netflix and Trident Arts to “remove the film from the platform until edited.”
Today, Netflix complied with the decision, removing ‘Annapoorani’ from its library. However, the fate of a potentially edited version and its re-release remains uncertain.
The film features an ensemble cast, including Nayanthara, Sathyaraj, Jai, Achyuth Kumar, KS Ravikumar, Karthik Kumar, and others. Despite the legal turmoil, fans have stood by Nayanthara, questioning the criticism of a film already certified by the CBFC.
Source: Economic Times
--Agencies
