Annapoorani Controversy: Nayanthara Apologises For Hurting Sentiments, Pens 'Jai Shri Ram'

Netflix launched 'Annapoorani', starring Nayanthara, on December 29. After the backlash, the OTT platform removed the film.

Nayanthara wrote a lengthy apology on social media.

Source : Instagram/@nayanthara

New Delhi: Nayanthara's film ‘Annapoorani: The Goddess of Food’ is in the news for damaging religious feelings with its depiction of a Hindu Brahmin who wants to be a chef who makes meat. After opening in theatres, the film was then added to Netflix's library until it was suddenly removed at the licensor's request. After the film was removed from Netflix, Nayanthara wrote a lengthy apology on social media in which she expressed guilt for any damage that may have been caused. She made it clear that she has a deep faith in God and goes to temples often, saying that she would never purposely do anything to offend religious people. 

Some viewers felt ‘Annapoorani’ violated Hindu values and had a negative impact on their faith. Nayanthara started her statement responding to the accusations with "Jai Shri Ram" and continued, “In our sincere attempt to share a positive message, we may have inadvertently caused hurt. We did not expect the removal of a censored film, previously showcased in theatres, from the OTT platform.”

She added, "My team and I never intended to hurt anyone's sentiments and we understand that the gravity of this issue. Being someone who wholely believes in God and frequently visits temples accross the country, it is the last thing I would intentionally do. To those whose feelings we've touched, I extend my sincere and heartfelt apologies."

Nayanthara clarified, "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 with a singular intention - To spread positivity & foster learning from one another." 

It all started when a person named Ramesh Solanki submitted a First Information Report (FIR) at the Lokmanya Tilak Marg police station in South Mumbai. He said the filmmakers wanted to offend Hindus' religious sensibilities by releasing ‘Annapoorani’, which insults Lord Ram.

Afterwards, Zee Studios issued an apology to Vishwa Hindu Parishad.