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- By Ridhi Suri
- Fri, 19 Jan 2024 10:14 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Actor Nayanthara has issued an apology days after her film 'Annapoorani: The Goddess of Food' faced accusations of hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus. In an Instagram statement, Nayanthara expressed regret, emphasising that neither she nor her team had intended to offend anyone's sentiments. The apology follows the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against the film, claiming that specific scenes disrespected Lord Ram and promoted 'love jihad.' Additionally, the film was removed from the OTT platform Netflix after a brief stint after a theatrical release on December 1.
Nayanthara has now come forward to extend her apologies and clarify her intentions after a group of individuals claimed to be offended by certain scenes in the movie, alleging that it hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus. Starting her statement with 'Jai Shri Ram', she 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 that 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," she added.
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Next, she said, "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."
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Annapoorani Controversy
'Annapoorani' narrates the tale of an ambitious woman caught between pursuing her passion and adhering to conservative ideals. Nayanthara plays the lead role in the film, supported by a cast including Sathyaraja, Achyuth Kumar, KS Ravikumar, Karthik Kumar, and Renuka. The movie is produced by Zee Studios, Naad Sstudios, and Trident Arts.
The storyline revolves around a girl from an orthodox Hindu Brahmin family who aspires to become a chef despite facing trials and tribulations. An FIR was lodged at the Lokmanya Tilak Marg police station in South Mumbai by Ramesh Solanki, alleging that 'Annapoorani' disrespects Lord Ram and was intentionally released to offend the religious sentiments of Hindus. Subsequently, Zee Studios issued an apology to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and announced the removal of the film from the platform. They stated that the movie would be taken down until it underwent editing to eliminate objectionable content.