On Friday, the Supreme Court quashed an FIR registered in Telangana against actress Priya Prakash Varrier of Oru Adaar Love fame.
The FIR had been filed against Priya Prakash Varrier, the director director Omar Abdul Wahab and producer Joseph Valakuzhy Eapen of the movie Oru Adaar Love for the infamous wink which had gone viral on social media, alleging it hurt ‘religious sentiments of Muslim community’.
CJI Misra reportedly said: “Somebody in a film sings a song and you have no other job but to file a case.”
Earlier, in February, the SC had stayed criminal proceedings against her.
The plea citing verses from Quran stated that winking in Islam is forbidden. The plea said, “The 30-second clip shows a young schoolgirl and a schoolboy exchanging smiles, eyebrows wiggles and winks from across the way. It has completely captivated audiences but with a wrinkle on the face of religious Muslims". It describes the song as' an act of blasphemy'.
The Supreme Court in February, this year stayed all criminal proceedings against Priya Prakash Varrier for her wink in the song Manika Malaraya Poovi from the Malayalam film Oru Adaar Love. Additionally, the Apex Court also stayed all criminal proceedings against the film’s producer Joseph Valakuzhy Eapen and director Omar Abdul Wahab. The honourable court, which heard the matter on an urgent basis following the request of the actress’ lawyers the day before, also stated that no FIR can be lodged against them in any state in future for hurting religious sentiments of Muslims.
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Eighteen-year-old Priya became an internet sensation following the clip of the song — in which she tweaks her eyebrows and winks at her co-actor Roshan Abdul Rahoof — going viral on social media. Within a week, she became the most searched actress on the internet. And on the other hand, FIRs were lodged against the actress in Maharashtra and Telangana, alleging that the lyrics were offensive and hurt religious sentiments. Subsequently, FIRs were also lodged against the film’s makers.
