A film from India was recently released on Netflix. Now, however, the streaming service has made the decision to remove the movie from their Netflix platform altogether.
The Vishwa Hindi Parishad (VHP) has openly accused the film of being “intentionally released to hurt Hindu sentiments”. This statement suggests that the group perceives the timing and content of the film as a deliberate attack on Hindu sentiments. The VHP, along with other right-wing Hindu groups, believe that the streamer has shown an irresponsible and disrespectful attitude towards their faith by allowing such content to be aired on its platform.
The newly-released and soon enough pulled movie, produced in the southern India state Tamil Nadu, is titled Annapoorani: The Goddess of Food. It revolves around the titular character, named Annapoorani, who wants to become a major chef in India despite her family’s commitment to the Brahmin caste.
The character’s father becomes so upset with her consumption of meat that he forces her into a marriage alliance against her will. This has Netflix viewers upset that the movie features sentiments of “Love Jihad” which is a conspiracy theory suggesting that Hindu women are being seduced to convert to Islam via sexual temptation.
In addition to the above issues, the social media post shared below from X also reveals that viewers are upset about the presentation of Lord Rama and the goddess Sita. They have dialogue which suggests they’ve both cut and ate meat, and given many Hindus are strict vegetarians, they found this quite offensive.
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
Zee Studios has further apologized for the reaction that the film provoked and they’ve insisted that it was not intentional. They will begin trimming the film to remove the more offensive elements. The apology reads:
“We have no intentions as co-producers of the film to hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindus and Brahmins community and would like to hereby apologise for the inconvenience caused and hurt caused to the sentiments of the respective communities.”
Some have taken issue with the fact Indian actress Nayanthara stars in the film. She is one of the country’s most popular stars, and so Hindu activists have taken special notice of her and her role in the film. This could explain the increased backlash for this particular story.
An edited version that will be more sensitive to Hindu audiences is currently in the works. As such, it will be available to stream via Netflix at a later point in time.