Netflix Removes Annapoorani; FIRs Filed Against Nayanthara For Hurting Religious Sentiments

Nayanthara¡¯s recently released film Annapoorani became the eye of the storm when a complaint was filed against it for hurting religious sentiments. Now, in a new turn of events, OTT streaming giant has given in to the pressure and has pulled the Tamil film from its platform.

Annapoorani

For the unversed, Annapoorani was released in theatres on December 1. It garnered an underwhelming response. Instead of adhering to the 3 months mandate, the film made its digital debut on December 29. However, in just a few days post OTT release, an FIR was filed against it for hurting religious sentiments.

The Complainant Filed In Mumbai Claimed That The Film Is Offending ¡®Hindu Religious Sentiments¡¯

Complainant Ramesh Solanki, who is the founder of Hindu IT Cell, claimed that the film has hurt Hindu religious sentiments. Therefore, he filed a complaint against actors Nayanthara, Jai, writer-director Nilesh Krishna, producers Jatin Sethi, R Ravindran, and Punit Goenka, Zee Studios Chief Business Officer Shariq Patel, and the head of Netflix India, Monika Shergill.

I have filed complain against #AntiHinduZee and #AntiHinduNetflix

At a time when the whole world is rejoicing in anticipation of the Pran Pratishtha of Bhagwan Shri Ram Mandir, this anti-Hindu film Annapoorani has been released on Netflix, produced by Zee Studios, Naad Sstudios¡­ pic.twitter.com/zM0drX4LMR

¡ª Ramesh Solanki?? (@Rajput_Ramesh) January 6, 2024

This incited several discussions and debates on social media. It got worse when activists from Vishwa Hindu Parishad staged a massive protest outside Netflix¡¯s Mumbai office.

What Were The Issues Raised In The Complaint Against The Nayanthara-Starrer?

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In his complaint, Ramesh Solanki mentioned that the film was promoting 'love jihad'. However, Nayanthara's Annapoorani and Jai's Farhan share a platonic relationship but a romantic angle hasn¡¯t been explored. In another scene in 'Annapoorani', the male lead convinces the heroine to consume meat by explaining that Lord Rama had also tasted meat. In the climax, Annapoorani wears a hijab and offers namaz before making biryani in the final round of a cooking competition.

After All The Back And Forth, Netflix Has Finally Removed Annapoorani From Its Platform

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Directed by debutant filmmaker, Nilesh Krishnaa and starring Nayanthara in the lead, Annapoorani has been taken down from Netflix in the wake of the legal battle.

Zee Studios, who is one of the producers of the film, has written to Vishwa Hindu Parishad stating that the film will be removed from the platform until all the offending bits are edited out and a fresh print is readied.

The statement reads, ¡°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¡±.

Here's the response from Zee Studios:

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A Fresh Complaint Has Been Filed By A Right-Wing Outfit In Madhya Pradesh¡¯s Jabalpur

The FIR, filed by Hindu Sewa Parishad names seven accused, including Nayanthara, director Nilesh Krishnaa, producers Jatin Sethi and R Ravindran, and Netflix India's content head Monika Shergill. The Jabalpur case, by Hindu Sewa Parishad's founder and president Atul Jeswani claims that the movie is promoting enmity among groups on the grounds of religion, and common intent.

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It has alleged that 'Annapoorani' has hurt Hindu religious sentiments, insulted Sanatana Dharma and made questionable comments about Lord Ram.

What Is Annapoorani About?

Annapooran' is a tale of an ambitious woman hailing from a Brahmin family from the conservative town of Srirangam. She is torn between her passion and the orthodox ideals that she had been taught since her childhood. In the film, she does not let her caste and religious differences stop her.

The film stars Nayanthara, Sathyaraja, Jai, Achyuth Kumar, KS Ravikumar, Karthik Kumar and Renuka in pivotal roles.