Nayanthara Breaks SILENCE on Annapoorani Controversy, Issues Apology: 'Jai Shri Ram'

Nayanthara issued an apology days after her film, Annapoorni, was accused of hurting Hindu sentiments. The actress took to her Instagram account late Thursday night and issued a statement with her reaction to the controversy that unfolded after the film was released on Netflix. Nayanthara said that she and her team did not intend to hurt anyone’s sentiments. Her statement has come a few days after it was reported an FIR was registered against the film and the film was removed from Netflix.

“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 accross 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 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,” Nayathara added.

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What is the Annapoorni Controversy About?

Nayanthara played the titular role of Annapoorni. The film revolved around a woman hailing from a conservative Brahmin family who wishes to become a top chef in India. But she has a few hurdles to cross. One of which is her orthodox family beliefs. In the movie, there are several scenes which show her struggle.

One of them was her classmate pushing her out of her comfort zone to eat meat. In an attempt to convince her to eat, the classmate mentions Lord Ram, claiming that he also consumed meat and it is not a sin.

Former Shiv Sena leader Ramesh Solanki has filed a police complaint against the film alleging that the film has hurt ‘sentiments of the Hindu community.’ Taking to X, previously known as Twitter, Solanki said that the film accused the film of being ‘anti-Hindu’. The film was eventually removed from Netflix.