Nayanthara‘s recent Tamil film, “Annapoorani,” has ignited a firestorm of controversy, leading to its removal from the streaming giant Netflix. Just weeks after its digital premiere, the movie has become embroiled in allegations of hurting Hindu sentiments, prompting a police complaint and widespread social media outrage.
“Annapoorani,” directed by Nilesh Krishnaa, tells the story of a young woman named Annapoorani, played by Nayanthara, who dreams of becoming a chef despite facing resistance from her orthodox Brahmin family and priest father.While the film received mixed reviews upon its theatrical release in December, its arrival on Netflix on December 29 has been marked the beginning of a heated debate.
Earlier this month, Hindu activist Ramesh Solanki, founder of the Hindu IT Cell, filed an FIR in Mumbai against various individuals associated with the film, including Nayanthara, co-star Jai, director Krishnaa, producers from Zee Studios, and Netflix India head Monika Shergill. The complaint, as reported by Press Trust of India, accused “Annapoorani” of offending Hindu sensibilities.
Furthermore, the film faced accusations of promoting “Love Jihad” and featuring objectionable statements made by a character named Farhan, who claims that Lord Ram and Sita consumed meat. These allegations fuelled social media outrage, with many calling for the film’s removal from Netflix.
Responding to the mounting controversy, Zee Studios, one of the film’s co-producers, issued a letter to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad on January 9. The letter expressed their willingness, in collaboration with Netflix and Trident Arts, to “remove the film from the platform until edited.”
Netflix removed “Annapoorani” from its library on January 11. However, the future of the film remains uncertain. Whether an edited version will be released and if it will find its way back onto Netflix, only time will tell.