‘Annapoorani: The Goddess of Food’, directed by Nilesh Krishna, which was released in theaters on December 1, began streaming on OTT platforms on December 29. A week later, the film was accused of being “anti-Hindu.”. On January 10, The Nayanthara starrer film was pulled from Netflix following legal trouble and social media backlash.
FIR for showing Anti-Hindu content
This Tamil film was pulled off after a complaint was filed against the makers by a Hindu activist named Ramesh Solanki. He filed a complaint against ‘Annapoorani’ actors Nayanthara, Jai, writer-director Nilesh Krishna, producers Jatin Sethi, R Ravindran, and Punit Goenka, Zee Studios Chief Business Officer Shariq Patel, and head of Netflix India Monika Shergill, claiming that the film offends Hindu religious sentiments and promotes ‘love jihad’.
Sharing the complaint he filed, Ramesh wrote on January 6 on X, “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 Studios, and Trident Arts.”
He also detailed the scenes that offended him, saying, “A daughter of Hindu Poojari offers Namaz to cook Biryani. Love Jihad is promoted in this film. Farhan (the actor) persuades the actress to eat meat, saying that Bhagwan Shri Ram was also a meat eater.”
He urged the Mumbai police to register an FIR for “hurting religious sentiments”. Based on the complaint, an FIR was filed at LT Marg Police Station in Mumbai
Social media controversy
Criticism has intensified around this movie on social media as well. Many have argued that some of the film’s contents have hurt religious sentiments.
Since the movie’s entry into Netflix, several right-wing social media users have expressed their anger towards the movie and called for legal action against the filmmakers.
Some of the supporters of the B.J. P. Party claimed that the film was propagated. It has disturbed Hindu-sentiments.
“So finally, Netflix has removed the anti-Hindu propaganda movie #Annapoorani.” A staunch Hindu user, Vijay Patel, posted a statement it with the intention of proving that the film was propagated.
A user named Madhav#Sanatanadharma wrote, “How can a 30-year-old girl brought up in the Brahmin family love the smell of nonveg?”
Warning from VHP
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) spokesperson Shriraj Nair also warned Netflix to take down the film. We are strictly warning you @NetflixIndia to immediately withdraw this evil movie of yours or else be ready to face legal consequences and @BajrangDalOrg style action. @ZeeStudios,” Nair posted on X.
Zee studio Apologizes to VHP
‘Annapoorani’ held the top position in Netflix’s internal ranking system, reflecting its popularity among subscribers. After the anti-Hindu sentimental controversy, Netflix removed ‘Annapoorani’ from its platform on January 10.
Zee Studios issued an apology to Vishwa Hindu Parishad stating that the film will be removed from the platform until it’s edited to remove the objectionable content.
The producers of the film ‘Annapoorani’, issued an unconditional apology, emphasizing that they had no intention of hurting the religious sentiments of the Hindu and Brahmin communities. “would like to hereby apologise for the inconvenience caused and hurt caused to the sentiments of the respective communities. (sic)” the producers stated.
Can the global audience see the movie?
While the film is no longer available on Netflix, international audiences can still watch it on Simply South, a streaming service. However, this option is not accessible for viewers in India.
Brief Storyline of the film
The story “Annapoorani”, depicts a girl from a conservative Brahmin family aspiring to become a world-renowned chef. Her family’s religious beliefs create obstacles, as they object to her cooking and eating meat. Despite the challenges, the heroine follows her dreams, eats meat and falls in love with a Muslim man.
