Nayanthara's 75th film 'Annapoorani' removed from Netflix amid complaint of hurting religious sentiments

Lady Superstar Nayanthara’s latest film Annapoorani has been removed from the streaming platform Netflix after it landed in controversy over a complaint of hurting religious sentiments.

The complaint was filed by former Shiv Sena leader Ramesh Solanki. In his tweet, he even requested Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra Police to immediately file a FIR against the makers.

His tweet read- “Before making biryani, the daughter of a Hindu priest offers namaz, she does not go to the temple but goes for Ramzan Iftar to eat biryani, Lord Shri Ram is non-vegetarian and also has the angle of love jihad. On the pretext of these scenes, director Nilesh Krishna, producers Jatin Sethi, Sharikh Patel, Punit Goenka, presenter Monica Shergill want to hurt public sentiments.”

It added, “That is why we request the Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra Police to immediately file an FIR against them for hurting Hindu hatred and religious sentiments.”

Netizens react

One user wrote- “Netflix leadership said something pretty revolutionary in 2018. “We are in the business of entertainment and not the reformation of the audience.”

Another reaction said- “Annapoorani being removed from Netflix is straight up shocking, like I know the state of freedom of expression is bad but it truly is pathetic how bad it is. This sets such a bad precedent for the future. If we’re removing movies that hurt groups of people wtf is animal then.”

Annapoorani being removed from Netflix is straight up shocking, like I know the state of freedom of expression is bad but it truly is pathetic how bad it is. This sets such a bad precedent for the future. If we’re removing movies that hurt groups of people wtf is animal then

— subiii (@_subiii_) January 11, 2024

In its review of the film, Firstpost wrote “So when a film decides to address all this and more, with Nayanthara as the driving force behind it, it is definitely a brave choice. Unfortunately, the film falters big time in presenting the film. There is substance, but the seasoning doesn’t strike the right balance to make this film on food successful. I personally liked a few things that the director had attempted in the film. To start off, Nayanthara as the titular character Annapoorani hails from a privileged caste. Her family works in the temple, and her father is a temple chef who cooks prasadam for devotees that visit the temple.”

Nayanthara’s career

Nayanthara is widely known for her acting prowess in the South film industry. She debuted with Manassinakkare in 2003, which was a commercial hit. Later, the Chandramukhi star became a leader in women-centric movies with Anaamika, Maya, Airaa, and Netrikann, among others.