The Hyderabad police on Sunday sent a notice to Malayalam film director Omar Lulu, seeking an explanation after complaints that the controversial and massively viral song ‘Malarayi Manikya Poovi’ in his film ‘Oru Adaar Love’ hurt the sentiments of Muslims.
The police asked the director to give an explanation about the song within 15 days. Based on the response of the director, police will decide whether to drop the case or issue another notice under section 41 of the CRPC, reported The Times of India.
It must be recalled that the Falaknuma police on February 14 had registered a case against the director under section 295 A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings).
Several Muslim groups across the country have expressed strong objection for the song as the lyrics talks about the love story between Prophet Mohammed and his wife Khadija Bivi.
A fatwa was also issued by a Hyderabad-based seminary Darul Ifta Jamia Nizamia asking the makers to either remove the song or change the song’s lyrics. Raza Academy from Mumbai also approached the CBFC chairman to block the song from the internet.
The song became a huge rage and an internet sensation, with young actor Priya Prakash Varrier being dubbed the ‘wink girl’.
Though the director initially seemed to have budged to the pressure to remove the song from YouTube, he later announced that the song will be removed from the film or YouTube. He clarified that the song is not objectionable.
The song was written in 1978 by PMA Jabbar and composed by Thalassery K Refeeque. It is a popular Mappila Pattu (song) sung in the Malabar region of Kerala.
The Mappila Pattu is a folk tradition that involves songs and dances about the Prophet, peace, love and war. These songs and dances are a common sight in weddings, other celebrations and even at art festivals conducted in schools and colleges.