Nayanthara apologises for hurting religious sentiments with her film ‘Annapoorani’

Popular Indian actress Nayanthara is sued an apology following the controversy surrounding her recent film “Annapoorani: The Goddess of Food”. The apology comes in the wake of allegations that the film hurt religious sentiments, disrespected Hindu deities, and promoted “love jihad”

The controversy escalated after a First Information Report (FIR) was filed against the film, prompting its removal from the OTT platform Netflix.

In her Instagram post, Nayanthara expressed regret, stating, “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. My team and I never intended to hurt anyone’s sentiments, and we understand the gravity of this issue.”

The actress, known for her frequent visits to temples and her deep belief in God, added, “Being someone who wholly believes in God and frequently visits temples across 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.”

“Annapoorani: The Goddess of Food” has Nayanthara in the lead role, portraying a girl from an orthodox Hindu Brahmin family aspiring to become a chef despite facing numerous challenges. Released in theatres on December 1, the film began streaming on Netflix on December 29 but was later removed from the platform amid FIRs and claims of hurting Hindu sentiments.

Several scenes in the movie have been criticised, including a scene where Nayanthara’s character offers namaz in a hijab before cooking biryani and a friend allegedly influencing her to cut meat by claiming that Lord Rama and Goddess Sita consumed meat. The film was also accused of promoting “love jihad”.

Zee Entertainment, a co-producer of the film, issued a written apology to the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), emphasising that there was no intention to hurt religious sentiments. The production house assured the VHP, affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), that the film would not be released again until it underwent necessary edits. (Agencies)

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