We back Varrier, director for bold stand: Harmony Foundation

A Mumbai-based group today said it supports "Oru Adaar Love" director Omar Lulu and actor Priya Varrier, who are facing allegations of hurting religious sentiments, for their "bold stand against bigotry".

Harmony Foundation chairman Abraham Mathai condemned the controversy over the Malayalam film and said it was another attempt at "ripping apart the secular fabric of our nation".

An FIR was lodged against Varrier, an 18-year-old B Com student from Thrissur, on February 14 at Hyderabad's Falaknuma police station over a complaint alleging that the song, "Manikya Malaraya Poovi", was "offensive" and "violated the religious sentiment of a particular community".
 

Yesterday, Varrier moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of the FIR.

"It is absolutely absurd and ridiculous that religious bigots in Hyderabad have lodged an FIR against the film director Omar Lulu for the movie 'Oru Adaar Love'. Now, it is unfortunate that Priya Varrier had moved the Supreme Court on Monday and sought quashing of FIRs lodged against her and the makers of the film for allegedly offending the religious sentiments of Muslims.

"We stand in support of Priya Varrier, Omar Lulu and the team for taking a bold stand against such bigotry," Mathai said in a statement.

Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, activist Tushar Gandhi, former Union minister P C Thomas and advocate Rizvan Merchant are the four patrons of the Foundation.

Instead of being criticised, the film's director should be praised for displaying the "current trend of reversing stereotypes and faulty assumptions" in the song that is courting controversy, he said.

"Oru Adaar Love" hit the headlines after Varrier's wink and coquettish smile in a 28-second clip from the song went viral on social media.

Facing charges of hurting the sentiments of the Muslim community, Lulu refused to pull out the track from the film as "there was nothing objectionable" about it.

"There are absolutely no grounds of charging Priya Varrier and Omar Lulu that such work of creativity can vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in the country as this song is a common song sung by the community in the northern parts of Kerala," Mathai added in his statement.