Nayanthara issues apology after Netflix removes her film 'Annapoorani' following backlash

Days after Netflix removed Nayanthara starrer ‘Annapoorani’ from its platform, the actor issued an apology on social media, saying she and her team did not intend to hurt anyone's sentiments.

Nayanthara issued an apology via an Instagram post with Jai Shri Ram and the Hindu religious symbol Om written on the masthead. She said that the intention behind the film was to uplift and inspire and not cause distress. The actor added that over the last 2 decades, her journey in the industry has been guided by a singular intention- to spread positivity and foster learning from one another.

‘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 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,’ she wrote.

‘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,’ Nayanthara further said in her post.

‘Annapoorani’ stirred controversy after a few Hindu groups accused it of spreading anti-Hindu propaganda.

The movie centers around Annapoorani (portrayed by Nayanthara), who comes from a traditional Brahmin family in Srirangam, Tamil Nadu. Her dream is to attain the status of a renowned chef in India, but she encounters challenges as she grapples with the conflict between her passion and conservative values.

With encouragement from her fellow student Farhan (played by Jai), she ventures beyond her familiar boundaries and starts consuming non-vegetarian food.

In one of the movie scenes, Farhan persuades Annapoorani to try meat, asserting that even Lord Ram had consumed it, emphasizing that eating non-vegetarian food is not a sinful act.

Following this, Ramesh Solanki, the founder of the Hindu IT cell, took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his disapproval of the film. He also lodged a complaint with the police, leading to the Mumbai Police filing an FIR.

The complaint targeted Nayanthara, Jai, the writer-director Nilesh Krishna, producers Jatin Sethi, R Ravindran, and Punit Goenka, Shariq Patel, the Chief Business Officer of Zee Studios, as well as Monika Shergill, the head of Netflix India.

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