Netflix removes Nayanthara's film ‘Annapoorani’ after backlash

Netflix has removed the Tamil Naguage film "Annapoorani The Goddess of Food" from its platform after it landed in legal trouble. An FIR has been filed in Omti Police Station in Jabalpur district under sections 153 A and 34 against actor Nayanthara, film director Nilesh Krishnaa, and one other person for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.

The complaint was filed by Hindu IT Cell founder Ramesh Solanki against the makers of Annapoorani. Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had also written to Zee and they also took down the film from its platform. In the film, a controversial statement has been made about Lord Ram. The film depicts the daughter of a Hindu temple priest in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu eating meat and later entering a high stakes cooking contest, where she cooks meat.

"We raised the objections about two major scenes. One involves the portrayal of Bhagwan Ram, depicting him, Sita, and Lakshma consuming non vegetarian food. This dialogue was spoken to a Hindu girl to persuade her to cook and eat non veg food. The worst part is during a cooking festival, a Muslim character convinces her, and she asks, 'How do you make such good biryani?' He replies, 'The taste improves when you cook it after praying,' and then she performs namaz before making biryani, implying that it becomes tastier.

This is secretly mocking and ridiculing Hindu dharma, which will not be tolerated," VHP spokesperson Sriraj Nair told Times of India. "Annapoorani The Goddess of Food" was released in theatres in December and aired on Netflix later the same month, but was no longer available on the international streaming platform as of Thursday.

This week on Wednesday, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a hardline Hindu organisation shouted slogans against Netflix and the movie at the company's Mumbai office. 'Annapoorani' features Nayanthara, Sathyaraja, Jai, Achyuth Kumar, KS Ravikumar, Karthik Kumar, and Renuka in pivotal roles.

Netflix and rivals like Amazon and Disney have often been at the receiving end of criticism from hardline religious groups in India, one of the world's biggest streaming markets. In 2021, Amazon offered a rare apology for some scenes in its series "Tandav", which faced court cases and complaints that it offended Hindus.

Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away!.