By: Express Web Desk | New Delhi | Updated: February 20, 2018 11:17 am Here’s how Priya Prakash’s (of the cute wink fame) journey has been so far.
The internet has become a weird thing off late. From obsessing over pictures of star kids to spreading death hoaxes, social media can make or break a celebrity in no time. And such is the story of the web’s latest sensation – Priya Prakash Varrier. While the actress awaits the release of her debut film Oru Adaar Love, netizens have already given her all kinds of approval. When you come to think of it, it is rather unbelievable that her 5-second blink-and-miss appearance in the song Manikya Malaraya Poovi sent the internet into waves of meltdown. But when it comes to the internet, is anything so unbelievable? Here’s how Priya Prakash’s journey has been so far.
Of the wink fame
Priya Prakash Varrier turned into an overnight sensation after a 3-minute long clip of her song Manikya Malaraya Poovi hit the internet on February 9. Priya who appears in the later part of the video is dressed in a school uniform and is enjoying the subtleties of innocuous high-school love with a fellow classmate. She winks, and the rest, as they say, is history. It immediately floors the boy (Roshan Abdul Rahoof) as well as the social media. The wink soon became the stuff of all kinds of memes on social media and people were pairing Varrier’s smile and wink with people as diverse as Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Katrina Kaif, Virat Kohli and even Mr Bean to hilarious effect.
Blow a kiss, Fire a Gun
Cashing in on Priya’s viral fame, the makers of Oru Adaar Love made the most of the situation and released the teaser for the film on February 14 i.e. Valentine’s Day. In the video, Priya Prakash Varrier shoots a kiss to her pair Roshan Abdul Rahoof using a handgun, making him swoon with delight. The makers had now moved focus on the viral pair of Priya and Rahoof while the song featured several high school romances.
Complaint about hurting religious sentiments
But all good things have to come to an end. Soon enough, the makers were embroiled in a legal controversy with various FIRs being registered against Omar Lulu, the director of Oru Adaar Love over the lyrics of the famed song “Manikya Malaraya Poovi” in the states of Telangana and Maharashtra. The complainants alleged that the Priya Prakash Varrier song when translated to English, hurts the sentiments of Muslims as it makes derogatory references to the Prophet. They demanded that either the song is removed from the film or the lyrics are changed.
Song lyricist and Singer react
A day after Hyderabad Police registered a case against the film’s director Omar Lulu, both the lyricist and the original singer of Manikya Malaraya Poovi said that the lyrics are in no way an insult to the Prophet. Even Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan defended the song in a Facebook post, calling the complaint ‘not accidental’ showing the growing intolerance towards freedom of art and free thought.
Also Read | Day after complaint ‘Wink song’ lyricist, singer firm: No insult to Prophet
No scene will be deleted
Reacting to the controversy, director Omar Lulu clarified, “The song shares only one message – love beyond borders. The controversy involving its lyrics and social media sensation Priya Prakash Varrier’s expressions are totally unnecessary.” Music director Shaan Rahman who recreated the song in question also asserted that he would not delete any scene from the song.
Also Read | Oru Adaar Love director on Manikya Malaraya Poovi controversy: No scene will be deleted
The makers move SC
Priya and Omar Lulu moved the Supreme Court on February 19, seeking the quashing of the FIR registered in Telangana. The petition filed through Advocate Haris Beeran and Pallavi Pratap contended that the “song is originally from an old folk song from Kerala which was written in 1978 by Mr. PMA Jabbar and was first sung by Mr. Thalassery Rafeeq, in the praise of the Prophet and his wife Beevi Khadija” and that “the claims that it hurts the religious sentiments of the Muslim Community are without any basis”.
It will be mentioned before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra on Wednesday for an urgent hearing.
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