Actress Nayanthara has issued an apology regarding the controversy surrounding her film ‘Annapoorani,’ clarifying that neither she nor her team intended to offend anyone’s sentiments.
Expressing her regret through an Instagram post adorned with the words ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and the Hindu religious symbol ‘Om,’ Nayanthara stated, “In our sincere effort to convey a positive message, we may have inadvertently caused distress. We did not anticipate the removal of a previously censored film, exhibited in theaters, from the OTT platform. My team and I never had the intention to hurt anyone’s feelings, and we acknowledge the gravity of this issue. As someone who wholeheartedly believes in God and frequently visits temples across the country, it is the last thing I would intentionally do. To those whose emotions we’ve affected, I extend my sincere apologies.”
‘Annapoorani’ became embroiled in controversy when certain Hindu groups accused it of disseminating “anti-Hindu” propaganda, leading Netflix to remove the film from its platform last week.
“The intention behind ‘Annapoorni’ was to uplift and inspire, not to cause distress. Over the last two decades, my journey in the film industry has been guided by a singular intention – to spread positivity and foster learning from one another,” Nayanthara further conveyed in her post.
WHAT IS THE CONTROVERSY OVER ‘ANNAPOORANI’?
The film revolves around Annapoorani (portrayed by Nayanthara), originating from a conservative Brahmin family in Srirangam, Tamil Nadu. Aspiring to become a leading chef in India, she confronts obstacles torn between her passion and orthodox ideals.
Supported by her classmate Farhan (played by Jai), she steps out of her comfort zone and begins consuming meat.
In a pivotal scene, Farhan persuades Annapoorani to eat meat, asserting that Lord Ram also consumed meat and that partaking in non-vegetarian food is not a sin.
Ramesh Solanki, founder of the Hindu IT cell, voiced his objection to the film on X (formerly Twitter) and filed a complaint with the police. Based on this, the Mumbai Police filed an FIR against Nayanthara, Jai, writer-director Nilesh Krishna, producers Jatin Sethi, R Ravindran, and Punit Goenka, Zee Studios Chief Business Officer Shariq Patel, and Netflix India’s head, Monika Shergill.