Indian actor Nayanthara has apologised over her film Annapoorani: The Goddess of Food, citing that she never wanted to hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus in the country of more than 1.4 billion people.

“Being someone who wholly believes in God and frequently visits temples across the country, it is the last thing I would intentionally do,” she said in an Instagram post on Thursday.

The Tamil-language film is a culinary drama where protagonist Annapoorani, played by Nayanthara, aspires to become a chef. Her character of a Brahmin girl opposes the family’s religious beliefs and eating meat and learning to cook it.

But Netflix removed the film from its streaming service weeks after its premiere despite being cleared by the Indian censor board. It was released in cinemas on December 1.

The shocking decision was taken agains the backdrop of Hindu right wing protest against the movie. But the service said that it was removed at its “licensor’s request”.

The film was the second-most watched the American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. In her effort, she abandons the strict vegetarianism of her upbringing.

Moreover, a scene where a Muslim character cites that the Hindu god Ram ate meat did not go well with some Hindus.

Like many fans, the Bigil actor said she did not expect the removal of the movie from the OTT platform. Nayanthara clarified that she and her team never intended to hurt anyone’s sentiments.

Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, the Indian film industry has shied away from content that could offend the religious sensibilities of the country’s majority faith. The cast and crew of a Saif Ali Khan-starrer show Tandav apologised in 2021 after being accused of mocking Hindu gods.

According to Nayanthara, the intention behind Annapoorni was to uplift and inspire, not to cause distress. The South-based actor, who shared screen space with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan last year, stated that her journey in the film industry has been guided by the intention to spread positivity and foster learning from one another.

“To those whose feelings we’ve touched, I extend my sincere and heartfelt apologies,” she said in her one-page statement.