Amidst 'Annapoorani' Controversy, Nayanthara Issues A 'Sincere' Apology With 'A Heavy Heart'

The lead actress, Nayanthara, has broken silence and issued an apology days after her film 'Annapoorani: The Goddess of Food' was surrounded by controversy and was accused of hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus. The actress took to her social media on Thursday to apologize to the citizens whose sentiments have been hurt, and stated that it was never their intention to cause harm or distress. 

Her statement comes a few days after an FIR was filed by former Shiv Sena leader Ramesh Solanki, stating that certain scenes in the film have hurt sentiments of Hindus, disrespected Lord Ram, and promoted love jihaad. Not only that, the film has also been removed from Netflix post the FIR lodged. 

She penned a note with "a heavy heart and a genuine desire to address the recent turn of events concerning our film, 'Annapoorni.'"

She wrote, "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."

"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," she concluded.

Nayanthara played the titular role in the film. The plot of the film revolves around a woman, who belongs to an orthodox Brahmin family, wanting to become a famous chef. But, she has a few obstacles that she needs to overcome, which include her family's beliefs. Another is the actress her being forced to eat meat in the name of Lord Ram, claiming that he also consumed meat, and that it's not a sin. 

Meanwhile, Zee Entertainment, who has co-produced the film, extended a written apology to the Vishva Hindu Parishad, and promised that the film will be released again only after being edited.