South actress Amala Paul has alleged that she was denied entry inside the Thiruvairanikulam Mahadeva Temple in Kerala by the officials. The temple entry is reportedly accessible only to Hindus and Amala is a Christian. Reacting to the development, temple officials stated that they were only following the protocol as only Hindus are allowed inside. Thiruvairanikulam Mahadeva Temple Trust Secretary Prasoon Kumar told News18 Malayalam, "It is not said that believers of other religions do not reach the temple. But no one knows that. But when a celebrity comes, it becomes controversial. Intervening in understanding this. According to current customs, there is a bar to admit a non-believer. This was told to Amala Paul."
"It is sad and disappointing that religious discrimination still exists in 2023. I couldn't go near the Goddess but could feel the spirit from a distance. I hope there will be a change in religious discrimination soon. The time will come and we all will be treated equally and not on the basis of religion," Amala Paul wrote in the temple visitor's register as per India Today report. She made her acting debut by appearing in a supporting role in the Malayalam-language film Neelathamara, and she later became noted for playing the title role in Mynaa. Paul had changed her on-screen name to Anakha, on director Samy's insistence, who cited that another actress, Amala had already made her name popular. However, after the failure of her 2011 film Sindhu Samaveli, she reverted to her birth name, since she felt that the replacement had brought her bad luck. On the work front, Amala will be next seen in Ajay Devgn's Bholaa which is a remake of Tamil film Kaithi,