'Ignorance is no excuse': Malayalam actor Navya Nair fined Rs 1.14 lakh for carrying jasmine flowers at Melbourne airport

KOCHI: Actress Navya Nair was fined a hefty sum for carrying jasmine flowers at the Melbourne International Airport while attending the Onam celebrations organised by the Malayali Association in Victoria on Thiruvonam day, Friday.She shared the experience during a public event she attended afterward.The fine amounted to Rs 1 lakh. The actress was found carrying a 15-centimetre jasmine garland, “which my father bought for me”.Admitting she was unaware of the rule, she said, “Ignorance is no excuse.”

She was fined 1,980 Australian dollars (around Rs 1.14 lakh). On Sunday, the actress shared more moments from her flight to Australia, playfully trolling herself over the fine that followed.Navya Nair, a two-time winner of the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress, began her film career with Sibi Malayil’s Ishtam in 2001. Over the years, she has earned acclaim for her roles in a wide range of films, including Nandanam, Mazhathullikkilukkam, Kunjikoonan, Kalyanaraman, Vellithira, Ammakilikkoodu, Gramophone, Pattanathil Sundaran Drishya 2, Oruthee, and Janaki Jaane and more, spanning Malayalam, Tamil and Kannada cinema.