Nayanthara's Annapoorani removed from OTT for 'hurting' religious sentiments, promoting Love-Jihad

Nayanthara's latest film, Annapoorani, faces backlash for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. The movie, which premiered in theaters on December 1 and began streaming on Netflix from December 29, has been met with legal challenges. Amid the legal battle, the film has been removed from the OTT platform.

Nayanthara's film Annapoorani removed from OTT

Days after Annapoorani made its Netflix debut, an FIR (First Information Report) was filed against the film and key stakeholders by Ramesh Solanki, the founder of the Hindu IT cell. Solanki claimed that the movie offends Hindu religious sentiments, prompting legal action against actors Nayanthara and 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. Subsequently, removal of the film from the OTT platform was considered.

In the latest development, the film has been removed from the streaming platform. The move came as a response to the legal proceedings and after a request from the makers that Annapoorani be pulled from the OTT platform until such a time necessary edits are made. "We have no intentions as co-producers of the film to hurt religious sentiments of the Hindus and Brahmin community and would like to hereby apologise for the inconvenience caused and hurt caused to the sentiments of the respective communities," the statement read.

What were the controversial scenes in Annapoorani?

In a pivotal moment in the film, Nayanthara character -- a Brahmin woman, faces challenges during a cooking competition where she is tasked with making biryani. Subsequently, a college memory resurfaces, recalling a Muslim woman who shared a unique recipe secret: offering Namaz before cooking for an exceptional flavour. In response, Nayanthara's character, donning a hijab, chooses to sit on the floor and offer Namaz before starting the biryani preparation.

In another scene, Nayanthara's boyfriend, Farhan, supports her by referencing passages from the Ramayan. Farhan claims that Valmiki wrote about Lord Ram, Lakshman, and Mata Sita mentioning they ate meat during their exile (Vanvas) when they were hungry. This encouragement is met with initial reluctance from Nayanthara's character, who, as the daughter of a Hindu pujari, is hesitant to cook non-vegetarian food. Despite Farhan's persuasion, she maintains her commitment to vegetarian cooking in the video.

Annapoorani revolves around an ambitious woman from a Brahmin family in the conservative town of Srirangam. The protagonist grapples with the conflict between her passion and the orthodox ideals instilled in her since childhood. The film depicts her determination to overcome caste and religious differences, pursuing her dreams despite societal expectations.