Explained: Why Nayanthara starrer Annapoorani was taken off from Netflix

The Tamil film Annapoorani, which stars Nayanthara and Jai, has hurt the sentiments of the Hindus as Nayanthara's character portrays a Brahmin woman, who has to eat meat to become a top chef. This particular part in the movie angered a section of the Hindus who filed complaints against it following which the movie was taken off from Netflix.

Hyderabad: After growing calls against the recently released Tamil movie Annapoorani for allegedly hurting Hindu sentiments, Netflix decided to remove it from their platform. The film, helmed by Nilesh Krishnaa, hit theaters on December 1, 2023, and started streaming on Netflix on December 29. However, within a week, various Hindu outfits criticized the film's content, claiming it to be 'anti-Hindu'.

The movie portrays the story of Nayanthara's character, Annapoorani, a young woman from a conservative Brahmin family in Srirangam, Tamil Nadu. Despite facing obstacles due to her orthodox upbringing, Annapoorani aspires to become a renowned chef in the country. With the support of her classmate Farhan, played by Jai, she ventures beyond her comfort zone and starts eating meat.

This experience allows her to gain a deeper understanding of food and ultimately leads her to participate in a cooking competition, which may help fulfill her dream. Throughout her journey, she encounters obstacles related to caste and religious preferences.

Unfortunately, Annapoorani received unfavourable responses upon its theatrical release. Additionally, the movie faced poor turnout due to the havoc caused by Cyclone Michaung in Chennai at that time. Consequently, the film premiered on Netflix just a month after its theatrical release. However, following the film's streaming debut, Ramesh Solanki, the founder of the Hindu IT cell, voiced his objections on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Solanki also filed a complaint to the Mumbai Police regarding the matter.

The complaint targeted not only the actors Nayanthara and Jai but also writer-director Nilesh Krishna, producers Jatin Sethi, R Ravindran, and Punit Goenka, Zee Studios Chief Business Officer Shariq Patel, and the head of Netflix India, Monika Shergill. In addition to the Hindu IT Cell, Shriraj Nair, the spokesperson for Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), took to X, formerly known as to warn Netflix about removing the film.

He posted, "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_ (sic).

Belonging to an orthodox Iyengar family, Annapoorani's dad Rangarajan (played by Achyuth Kumar), is a temple chef who sacrificed high-paying jobs to serve Lord Ranganathar. Annapoorani, born with heightened taste buds, embarks on a journey to become a top chef in India. In pursuit of this goal, she defies her father's beliefs by consuming meat, which he considers sinful. Solanki, in a specific scene, recalls the moment when Annapoorani's friend Farhan (played by Jai) convinces her that eating meat is not a sin, citing the example of Lord Ram who also consumed non-vegetarian food.

Solanki's complaint raised concerns of a love jihad connection. Although Farhan develops feelings for Annapoorani, their relationship remains purely friendly, never delving into a romantic connection. The alleged relationship between Annapoorani and Farhan has now ignited the 'love jihad' controversy.

Another scene that provoked right-wing factions depicts Annapoorani wearing a hijab and offering namaz during the final round of the cooking show. In this competition, she competes against Chef Ashwin Sundarrajan (portrayed by Karthik Kumar) to prepare the best biriyani. As Annapoorani learned the art of cooking biriyani from Farhan's mother, she paid tribute to her by offering 'namaz'.

In response to the backlash from right-wing groups and on X, Zee Studio penned a letter to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, informing them that they have instructed Netflix to temporarily remove Annapoorani from their streaming platform until necessary changes are made.

The letter stated that they are currently working with co-producers M/s Trident Arts to take necessary steps in addressing concerns regarding the movie. They mentioned that they have also requested Netflix to remove the film from their platform until the required edits are made.

Furthermore, Zee Studio issued an apology, emphasising that they never intended to offend the religious sentiments of the Hindu and Brahmin communities, and would like to apologise for any inconvenience and hurt caused to these respective communities.

Upon Annapoorani being removed from Netflix, actor Parvathy expressed her disapproval via an Instagram post, denouncing the decision. She wrote, "A dangerous precedent being set. Censoring left right and center until we won't be allowed to breathe (sic)." Whether an edited version of Annapoorani will make its way back to Netflix remains uncertain for now.

READ MORE