Actress Nayanthara has issued an apology after a controversy erupted recently when certain dialogues in the film were said to have insulted Lord Ram and promoted ‘love jihad’.
In a post on her Instagram profile, ‘Annapoorani’ actor issued an apology stating that she and her team did not intend to hurt anyone’s sentiments. A controversy erupted recently when certain dialogues in the film were said to have insulted Lord Ram and promoted ‘love jihad’, thus hurting Hindu sentiments. “Annapoorani’ was taken off Netflix to be re-edited and Zee Studios, co-producer of the film, also issued an apology.
Nayanthara in her statement which started with the words ‘Jai Shri Ram’, said, “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. Being someone who wholely 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.”
The actor, known as Lady Superstar in South India, added, “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.”
When the movie released on OTT on December 29, a ring-wing group in Madhya Pradesh filed a police case against the producers and actors for hurting religious sentiments of Hindus and disrespecting Lord Ram.
Given the upcoming consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22, the controversy snowballed.
‘Annapoorani’ sees Nayanthara play a Hindu Brahmin girl from an orthodox family who becomes a chef and the issues she faces.
In the film, she is seen offering namaz before she cooks chicken biryani and Farhan, a Muslim friend, tells her that Lord Ram and Sita were meat-eaters and she could also eat meat.