Netflix has removed a Hindi film that sparked backlash for “hurting Hindu religious sentiments”, days after it was uploaded to the platform.
Netflix has removed a Hindi film that sparked backlash for “hurting Hindu religious sentiments”, days after it appeared on the streaming platform. The film is in Tamil Annapurani: Goddess of food (Annapoorani: The Goddess of Food) has been removed by Netflix “at the request of the licensor”.
The film stars the famous Tamil actress, Nayanthara, which plays a Hindu Brahmin woman (meaning she belongs to the upper caste) who wants to become a chef. The film shows him eating meat and learning to cook against his family's religious beliefs. Many Brahmins do not eat meat according to strict caste rules.
Members of hardline Hindu organizations objected to this and other scenes in the film, including the scene in which the actress recites prayers before cooking biryani. Some Hindus were also upset by a scene in which a Muslim character says that the Hindu god Rama ate meat. The film's producers have not officially commented on this issue yet. A police case has also been registered in Madhya Pradesh against Nayanthar and two others linked to the film.
Supporters of hardline Hindu groups have accused many films and shows of offending religious sentiments in recent years. In 2021, the cast and crew of the Amazon Prime show apologized after being accused of mocking Hindu gods.
Annapurani opened in theaters on December 1, and received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its portrayal of a woman from an Orthodox family who follows her dreams, but some found the plot threads to be underdeveloped. However, controversy began weeks later when the film was uploaded to Netflix on December 29.
Reuters reported that members of the militant group Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) chanted slogans outside Netflix's offices in Mumbai, following an apology letter from Zee Entertainment Enterprises, the parent company of Annapurani producer Zee Studios, on Thursday, which also said the producers would do so. Addressing the film's concerns and working with Netflix to remove the film from its platform pending “editing.” After the decision, many people expressed their shock. Parvathi Thiruvothu According to the actress, this would set a dangerous precedent. He writes BBC.
