KNZ NEWS DESK
A group of Muslim youths in Hyderabad have demanded a ban on the Malayalam song Manikya Malaraya Poovi from the upcoming film Oru Adaar Love, featuring overnight internet sensation Priya Prakash Varrier, as it has “objectionable” references to Khadijah Bivi, wife of Prophet Mohammad.
Although they did not understand the lyrics in Malayalam, the complainants said they found references to the Prophet’s wife in a translation of the song, which they said hurt the sentiments of Muslims.
They have attached a copy of the original song and its English translation along with the complaint filed at Falaknuma police station in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
One of the complainants Mohammed Abdul Muqeeth Khan, an engineering student, denied lodging the complaint for the sake of publicity. “We don’t want to take to streets or organise people to protest. In fact, I too was floored by the clipping of the song which went viral. However, when I heard the complete song after it became popular yesterday, I felt there is something wrong in the lyrics,” he recalled.
He said he tried to understand the lyrics and then realised that it has reference to Khadija Bivi, wife of Prophet Mohammad. “I felt it objectionable and hence, lodged the complaint,” he said.
His cousin Abdul Kauser, a businessman, who also signed the complaint, said they would fight for protection of the sentiments of the Muslims through legal means, rather than through agitations.
Falaknuma inspector P Yadagiri said a decision on filing the case would be taken after examining the contents of the complaint. The police are planning to forward the complaint to the Central Crime Station for investigation, as it needs coordination with their counterparts in Kerala, from where the filmmakers hail.
Oru Adaar Love will release on Eid this June. Speaking to Scroll, the film’s director, Omar Lulu, said “Manikya Malaraya Poovi means a pearl flower that is very precious”. He added that the song is about the love story of the Prophet Mohammad and his first wife. “There has been some opposition from some old Muslims in the community. They feel that a love song that is about the Prophet Muhammad and his wife in a film is insulting to Islam. But these people are in a small minority,” he said in the report.
