Annapoorani: The Goddess of Food: In response to mounting controversy and allegations of ‘hurting Hindu religious sentiments,’ Netflix has made the decision to remove the Tamil film ‘Annapoorani: The Goddess of Food’ from its streaming platform.
The film, featuring Nayanthara in the lead role, drew criticism for its portrayal of a Brahmin woman aspiring to become a chef, engaging in actions that seemingly contradicted her family’s religious beliefs. The contentious scenes included her character consuming meat and learning to cook it, actions contrary to the dietary practices adhered to by a significant portion of the Brahmin community.
Parvathy expressed her concern over the studio’s choice to remove the film from Netflix in a post on her Instagram stories, stating, “A dangerous precedent being set. Censoring left right and ‘centre’ until we won’t be allowed to breathe.” Meanwhile, Nayanthara has not commented on the controversy so far.
Several other tweets resonated with this sentiment. One Twitter user expressed their astonishment, stating, “The removal of ‘Annapoorani’ from Netflix is genuinely shocking. I understand the current state of freedom of expression is concerning, but it’s truly disheartening to witness how dire the situation has become. This establishes an alarming precedent for the future. If we’re taking down movies that may offend groups of people, where does the line stop?”
The controversy further escalated with objections from individuals associated with certain fundamentalist Hindu organizations, specifically denouncing these scenes in the film. One particularly contentious moment depicted Nayanthara’s character engaging in namaz, the Islamic prayer, before preparing biryani.
Netflix, responding to the backlash and seeking to address concerns raised by various groups, opted to remove the film from its platform. The move reflects the ongoing challenges faced by streaming platforms in navigating cultural and religious sensitivities, underscoring the delicate balance between artistic expression and respect for diverse beliefs.