Controversy surrounds Nayanthara's 'Annapoorani': Allegations of religious insensitivity and 'love Jihad'

In a startling turn of events, complaints have been lodged against acclaimed actor Nayanthara and the team behind her recent release, Annapoorani, with accusations that certain scenes in the film have deeply offended the religious sentiments of Hindus. Activists from two right-wing outfits have separately filed complaints, asserting that the movie contains controversial remarks about Lord Ram and promotes the contentious concept of 'love jihad.'

Annapoorani, which recently premiered on Netflix, has been abruptly pulled from the streaming platform following the serious allegations. The Oshiwara police station in western suburbs received a complaint from Bajrang Dal activists two days ago, prompting an ongoing inquiry. Simultaneously, another complaint was lodged at the Lokmanya Tilak Marg police station in South Mumbai by Ramesh Solanki, the founder of Hindu IT Cell.

Solanki's complaint specifically contends that Annapoorani deliberately demeans Lord Ram and accuses the filmmakers of intentionally releasing the film to hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus. He points to specific scenes in the movie that he believes insult Hindu beliefs, including one where Nayanthara's character, a temple priest's daughter, is shown offering namaz wearing a 'hijab' before preparing biryani.

The complaint also references a dialogue where a character mentions that Lord Ram and Maa Sita had consumed meat. Additionally, another scene portrays Nayanthara choosing to attend Farhaan's 'iftaari' instead of going to the temple. In light of these allegations, Solanki demands that an FIR be filed against Nayanthara, director Nilesh Krishnaa, and others associated with the film for promoting 'love jihad' and hurting religious sentiments.

While the police are awaiting Solanki's appearance to proceed with further action, Zee Studios has taken an unprecedented step by pulling Annapoorani from Netflix. The film, initially released in theaters on December 1 and subsequently available for streaming since December 29, finds itself at the center of a debate. As the legal proceedings unfold, the fate of Annapoorani and the broader implications for artistic freedom within Bollywood remain uncertain.