Police complaint lodged against singer Sravana Bhargavi

Playback singer Sravana Bhargavi recently put out on her YouTube channel a rendition of the Annamayya Keerthana ‘Okapari’. Bhargavi did a cover version and is seen flaunting her saree-clad look in the video. The video has been slammed by many orthodox persons who are offended by how the song’s sacredness has been “desacralized” by the mundane depiction and choreography. 

After a row erupted last week, the singer defended herself on Facebook and remarked that the backlash is only because she is a woman. Had a male person made such a depiction/rendition, there would be no backlash, she hinted.

The news is that a few residents of Tirumala have lodged a police complaint against the singer. They have admonished Sravana Bhargavi for not being mindful of the sacred context of the song despite being a Brahmin herself. Speaking to a TV channel, they added that the TTD’s silence over her version is surprising.

The residents, holding out against the singer, said that they won’t let her enter the holy town until she withdraws the song.