'Jai Sri Ram': Nayanthara apologises for 'Annapoorani' controversy

Actress Nayanthara has offered a sincere and heartfelt apology over her latest Tamil film Annapoorani, a week after the makers were accused of hurting religious sentiments and the movie was pulled from streaming service Netflix.

In an Instagram post on Thursday night, the Jawan star said the film was made to "uplift and inspire, not to cause distress".

"Jai Shri Ram. I am writing this note with a heavy heart and a genuine desire to address the recent turn of events concerning our film, Annapoorani. Crafting 'Annapoorani' was not just a cinematic endeavour but a heartfelt pursuit of inspiring resilience and instilling the spirit of never giving up.

"It aimed to mirror life's journey, where we learn that obstacles can be overcome with sheer willpower... In our sincere attempt to share a positive message, we may have inadvertently caused hurt," Nayanthara wrote.

Annapoorani featured the 39-year-old actress star as a young woman who aims to become the best chef in the country but in order to realise her dream, she has to cook non-vegetarian food.

Directed by Nilesh Krishnaa, the movie was released in theatres in December last year, before it started streaming on Netflix four weeks later. Last week, the movie kicked up a row after two complaints were filed against Nayanthara and the makers over allegations that certain scenes in the film hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus.

The complaints alleged that the film makes controversial remarks about Lord Ram and also promotes 'love jihad'. Amid the controversy, the film was removed from Netflix by the makers.

In her post, Nayanthara said the team wanted to share a positive message and never expected that the movie, which was showcased in theatres, would be removed from a streaming platform.

"My team and I never intended to hurt anyone's sentiments and we understand the gravity of this issue. Being someone who wholly 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 & heartfelt apologies. The intention behind 'Annapoorani' 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," she said.

After the complaints, the police in Maharashtra’s Thane district registered a case against eight persons, including Nayanthara, last week.

The station house officer at the Naya Nagar police station said a case was registered against eight persons, including the actress and the film’s producer, under Indian Penal Code sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups), 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings) and 505 (2) (offence committed in place of worship) read with 34 (common intention).