'Oru Adaar Love' director refuses to withdraw song from film
The statement, made at a late night press conference by Omar Lulu and music director Shan Rehman on Wednesday, comes after a police complaint against the director stating that the lyrics of the song hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims
The director of the Malayalam film "Oru Adaar Love" Omar Lulu and its music director Shan Rehman said on Wednesday that the song "Manikya Malaraya poovi" would not be withdrawn for the time being.
The statement, made at a late night press conference by Omar Lulu and Shan Rehman on Wednesday, comes after a police complaint against the director stating that the lyrics of the song hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims.
"The song will not be withdrawn for the time being. It will be part of the movie. There are eight more songs in the film," Omar Lulu said.
Omar Lulu said the song had no objectionable reference and said Muslims in the Malabar region of North Kerala had been singing it for over four decades. He also claimed support from the entire Kerala community.
"The song written by CMA Jabbar is sung during marriages and every celebration in Malabar region of North Kerala. Malabar Muslims have been singing this song since 1978. If it was not objectionable then, how has it become objectionable now?" Lulu said.
He told PTI that it was for the censor board to take a final call on the matter.
"We have changed only its music and not the lyrics," he said.
The director and the music director said they were tense after getting some phone calls over the song on Wednesday afternoon.
The complainants had alleged that "Manikya Malaraya poovi" had an "objectionable" reference to Prophet Muhammad's wife.
The complaint was filed at the Falaknuma police station in Hyderabad by businessman Zaheer Ali Khan, engineering student Muqeeth Khan and others.
Zaheer Khan alleged that the song's lyrics hurt the sentiments of Muslims and demanded that either the song be removed from the film or its words be changed.
After the news of the FIR spread, the movie's crew members had said the song would be withdrawn.
A clip from the song, featuring actor Priya Prakash Varrier, has gone viral on social media sites.
The complainants have clarified that they had not mentioned the actor's name in their representation before the police.
"We don't have any objection against the actors," Zaheer Khan said.
The police said it had registered a case.
"Following the complaint, we took legal opinion and subsequently a case under IPC section 295A (hurting religious sentiments) has been registered against the film's director, Omar Lulu," Assistant Commissioner of Police (Falaknuma division) Syed Fayaz told PTI.
As part of their investigation, the police will take the opinion of some Islamic clerics on this after getting a translation of the song, he said.
"We will proceed based on their opinion... If the song has really hurt the sentiments then definitely action will be initiated against those involved," the ACP said.
The film is up for release later this year.