Mumbai: The recently released film 'Annapoorani,' featuring Nayanthara, has found itself in the midst of a controversy, with activists from two right-wing organizations filing separate complaints against the actor and others associated with the project. The complaints, registered with the Oshiwara police station in the western suburbs and the Lokmanya Tilak Marg police station in South Mumbai, claim that specific scenes in the movie have offended the religious sentiments of Hindus.
Accusations include the portrayal of controversial remarks about Lord Ram and the alleged promotion of 'love jihad.' Despite its recent debut on Netflix, the OTT platform has pulled the film following the complaints.
The first complaint was lodged by activists of Bajrang Dal at the Oshiwara police station two days ago, initiating an ongoing inquiry. Simultaneously, Ramesh Solanki, the founder of Hindu IT Cell, filed another complaint at the Lokmanya Tilak Marg police station. In his complaint, Solanki contends that 'Annapoorani' intentionally demeans Lord Ram and alleges that certain scenes were strategically included to hurt religious sentiments.
One cited scene depicts Nayanthara, in her role as a temple priest's daughter, offering namaz in a 'hijab' before preparing biryani. Another scene involves the character Farhaan, a friend of Nayanthara's character, persuading her to cut meat by claiming that Bhagwan Shri Ram and Maa Sita also consumed meat. Additionally, the complaint highlights a scene where Nayanthara's character opts for 'iftaari' at Farhaan's place instead of going to the temple.
In response to the controversy, Solanki demanded the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) against Nayanthara, director Nilesh Krishnaa, and others involved in the film for allegedly hurting religious sentiments and promoting 'love jihad.'
"We have received a written complaint application against the actor and others. The complainant has not visited the police station yet, and we are awaiting his appearance to decide the further course of action," stated an official.
The term "love jihad" is employed by right-wing groups to assert that Muslim men are engaged in a systematic effort to convert Hindu women to Islam.
—Input from Agencies
