Nayanthara‘s Annapoorani has been facing backlash since its release. Netizens criticized the movie by claiming that the movie promoted the concept of ‘Love Jihad’ and hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. In the film, there is a detailed scene where the daughter of a Hindu priest performs namaz (ritual prayer) to cook biryani.
Moreover, in another scene, the leading actor convinces the actress to eat meat by conveying that Lord Rama was also a meat eater during exile. These scenes sparked the religious sentiments of the Hindu community, resulting in the trend of ‘Boycott Annapoorani.’ However, this controversy reportedly came to an end after Netflix removed the Annapoorani from its platform.
Directed by Nilesh Krishnaa, the film hit theaters on December 1, 2023, with limited release across Tamil Nadu. Notably, the film marks Nayantahara’s 75th film. The movie is based on a woman from a Brahmin family who dreams of becoming a chef. She also wishes to master various non-vegetarian dishes. However, she faces many complications during her journey since her father is a temple priest. As the story progresses, she falls in love with her Muslim friend Farhaan.
Why was Nayanthara’s movie Annapoorani removed from Netflix?
Following the controversy, Ramesh Solanki, a Hindu activist and former Shiv Sena member, filed an FIR against the film. He claimed that Annapoorani hurts religious sentiments. He also shared a copy of the filed complaint on X (formerly Twitter).
Solanki wrote, “I have filed complain against #AntiHinduZee and AntiHinduNetflix At a time when the whole world is rejoicing in anticipation of the Pran Pratishtha of Bhagwan Shri Ram Mandir, this anti-Hindu film Annapoorani has been released on Netflix, produced by Zee Studios, Naad Sstudios and Trident Arts.”
After this, his followers, as well as other Hindu activists, started to boycott Annapoorani on the platform. Moreover, on January 11, 2024, the studios issued an apology, following which Netflix finally removed the Annapoorani from its platform. This confirmation was also shared by Ramesh Solanki and the Hindu IT cell on X.
With the controversy surrounding the movie, it remains to be seen if Annapoorani will make a return on any OTT platform in India.
