Decoding Malayalam song that has put Priya Prakash Varrier in trouble

It has not been more than a week since Malayalam actress Priya Prakash Varrier got famous for her romantic banter with a classmate in a scene from song ‘Manikya Malaraya Poovi’ of an upcoming movie Oru Adaar Love-- that the 18-year-old has been dragged to court over hurting sentiments of a particular community.

As per cases registered against the actress and the director of the film, the song ‘Manikya Malaraya Poovi’ is insensitive to Muslim community’s feelings and hurts their sentiments.

Responding to these cases, the director and the actress herself have now moved SC -- filing a writ petition citing freedom of speech and expression against criminal offence cases registered against them.

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According to the petition, the song ‘Manikya Malaraya Poovi’ when translated into English means:

"She bloomed like a precious flower

in the sacred land of Mecca, great Khadeeja Beevi

Was roaming in the sacred land

The lady roaming

She called for the respected lord, prophet

And send him for trade

She saw him and

Coveted him in the heart of hearts

She came back after trade

And she sought her hand

Sought her hand"

The petition claims that there is no basis for these cases as the lyrics of the song ‘Manikya Malaraya Poovi’ is from a Mappila Song, meaning a traditional folk Muslim song from the Malabar region of Kerala. It was written in 1978 by Mr PMA Jabbar and was first sung by Mr Thalassery Rafeeq, in the praise of the Prophet and his first wife Khadija

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The song describes and praises the love between the Prophet Mohammed and his first wife Khadija.

The petition points out that the claims that it hurts the religious sentiments of the Muslim community are without any basis. What is hard to fathom is that a song which has been in existence for the past 40 years, which was written, sung and cherished by the Muslim community in Kerala is now being treated as an insult to the Prophet and his wife.

The petition also establishes that the first petitioner is an 18-year-old actress of the upcoming Malayalam movie Oru Adaar Love and that this is her first movie and is a student pursuing her B. Com from Vimala College at Trichur District Kerala.

After the song became viral on the internet and Priya Varrier gained instant fame on social media, criminal complaints were slapped by various fringe groups based on a distorted and incorrect interpretation of the song in the states of Telangana, Maharashtra.