Former Shiv Sena leader and founder of Hindu IT Cell, Ramesh Solanki, has lodged a formal police complaint against the makers of the film ‘Annapoorani,‘ accusing them of demeaning Bhagwan Ram and causing offence to the sentiments of the Hindu community.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Inspector of the Lokmanya Tilak police station, Solanki called for immediate action against the anti-Hindu content depicted in the feature film. ‘Annapoorani’ premiered on Netflix on December 28 of the preceding year and marks the 75th film of renowned Tamil actress Nayanthara. The movie is jointly produced by Trident Arts, Zee Studios, and Naad Studios.
Solanki expressed his displeasure, stating, “At a time when the whole world is rejoicing that the Shri Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha will happen on January 22, this film demeans our Prabhu Shri Ram and is intentionally released to hurt Hindu sentiments.”
I have filed complain against #AntiHinduZee and #AntiHinduNetflix
At a time when the whole world is rejoicing in anticipation of the Pran Pratishtha of Bhagwan Shri Ram Mandir, this anti-Hindu film Annapoorani has been released on Netflix, produced by Zee Studios, Naad Sstudios… pic.twitter.com/zM0drX4LMR
— Ramesh Solanki🇮🇳 (@Rajput_Ramesh) January 6, 2024
According to Solanki, the movie contains several objectionable scenes, including the depiction of the daughter of a Hindu Brahmin temple priest offering Namaz (Islamic prayer), the glorification of love jihad, and distortions of facts surrounding Bhagwan Ram and Mata Sita consuming meat in the Ramayan.
Pointing out specific instances, Solanki remarked, “The actress’s father is a temple pujari, making Bhog for Bhagwan Vishnu since 7 generations but his daughter is shown to cook meat, fall in love with a Muslim, goes for Ramzan Iftaar & offers Namaz.”
Solanki urged the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against key individuals associated with the film, including director Nilesh Krishnaa, actress Nayanthara, producers Jatin Sethi, R Ravindran, and Punit Goenka, as well as Chief Business Officer of Zee Studios Shariq Patel and Netflix India Head Monika Shergil. The complaint alleges intentional efforts to demean Hindus and Bhagwan Shri Ram with the movie’s content.
The police are now expected to investigate the complaint and determine the appropriate course of action.
In the film, during a cooking competition, the protagonist is assigned the task of preparing Biryani, leading to a significant scene with religious undertones.
In a surprising turn of events, the lead character recalls a college memory where a Muslim woman revealed her secret for creating exceptional recipes. According to the woman, the extraordinary taste in her food is attributed to offering Namaz before cooking.
Responding to this memory, the protagonist retrieves a black cloth, dons a Hijab, and sits on the floor to perform Namaz before proceeding to cook the Biryani. The scene is accompanied by music featuring lyrics such as “Maula mere Maula, tu hi rakhwala… there ishq ke hi noor see qayanath roshan hui… apne rang me mujhko rang de Maula.”
During the subsequent tasting session, when the judges inquire about her remarkable culinary skills, the lead character asserts, “Biryani has no religion; it is an emotion.” She goes on to emphasise that offering Namaz enhances the flavour of the Biryani, making it taste its best.
In a surprising twist in another scene, Farhan, the lead’s boyfriend, supports her by quoting verses from the Ramayan to argue that non-vegetarianism is not a sinful act. As she pursues her culinary goal, he motivates her with recitations of Sanskrit verses, claiming that Valmiki wrote in the Ramayan that during their exile (Vanvas), Bhagwan Ram, Lakshman, and Mata Sita consumed animals when they were hungry.
Earlier in the video, the lead, as the daughter of a Hindu pujari, is shown to be hesitant about cooking meat. Despite Farhan’s attempts to convince her, she remains unwilling to prepare non-vegetarian dishes in the clip. The intertwining of religious themes in the film has sparked discussions about the portrayal of diverse beliefs in cinema.
