Actor Priya Varrier moves SC for quashing cases against her

Actor Priya Prakash Varrier, who became an internet sensation with a wink in a song of an upcoming Malayalam movie, on Monday approached the Supreme Court for quashing of criminal cases lodged against her and others in Maharashtra and Telangana.

Within days of uploading a promotional video of a song "Manikya Malaraya Poovi" from the movie Oru Addar Love on Youtube on February 9, it was watched by millions of people.

"The song "Manikya Malaraya Poovi" is a Mappila Song, or a traditional Muslim song from the Malabar region of Kerala, which praises the love between the Prophet Mohamed and his first wife Khadeeja and is a part of the Muslim tradition in Kerala and does not offend any religious sentiment of any community or person," her plea filed by advocate Haris Beeran stated.

It stated that criminal complaints and registration of FIRs in multiple states on the basis of complaints by "fringe elements who have misunderstood the lyrics of the song which they claim allegedly offended their religious sentiments and that of their community has adversely affected the petitioners right to life, liberty and freedom of expression under the Constitution".

The petition jointly filed by film director Omar Abdul Vahab and producer Joseph Valakuzhy Eapen, cited the apex court's order in case of movie Padmaavat that stated "An artist has his own freedom to express himself in a manner which is not prohibited in law and such prohibitions are not read by implication to crucify the rights of expressive mind."

On February 14, an FIR was registered in the Falaknama Police Station in Hyderabad for hurting religious sentiments and similarly, two other complaints were filed in Mumbai and Aurangabad.