SC to hear actress Priya's plea seeking quashing of FIR

The Supreme Court will hear on Wednesday a plea by Malayalam actress Priya Prakash Varrier seeking quashing of a spate of complaints and an FIR registered against her and the film director for allegedly hurting the sentiments of a minority community.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud agreed on Tuesday to hear the plea by the teenage actress, who stars in the film "Oru Addar Love" having a 'wink song' picturised on her that apparently hurt the community's sentiments.

Varrier's lawyer Harris Beeran told the bench that the actress has moved the court seeking the quashing of the FIR and four complaints filed against her and film director Omar Lulu in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, respectively.

Later speaking to reporters, Beeran said that the said song has been there for last four decades and there has been no complaint in Kerala but an FIR was filed in Andhra Pradesh and four complaints in Maharashtra.

Some Muslim activists had lodged an FIR against the team of "Oru Adaar Love" in Hyderabad under Section 295A (hurting religious sentiments) of the Indian Penal Code on February 14. A group in Maharashtra's Aurangabad also filed a police complaint against Varrier and Lulu on the same grounds.

The contentious scene where Varrier winks at a boy features the Mappila lyrics -- a traditional Muslim song from the Malabar region of Kerala -- that celebrate the love between Prophet Mohammed and his first wife Khadija.

The complainants have primarily objected to the use of Mappila as background music in the flirting scene.

Thrissur-based Varrier, who learns music and dance, is making her acting debut with the Malayalam film. She got noticed via a short clip from the film's song "Manikya malaraya", and it went viral.

In the clip, she is seen giving a wink and smiling while flirting with a boy. It is the mischief, innocence and simplicity in the shots that have touched the right chords with viewers.

In another teaser for the film, which is releasing next month, she is seen giving a naughty flying kiss.

--IANS

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