Navya Nair, a prominent Malayalam actress, encountered an unexpected setback at Melbourne International Airport when she was fined USD 1,980 (approximately ₹1.14 lakh). The penalty was levied for carrying a jasmine gajra, intended for the Onam celebrations organized by the Malayali Association of Victoria. Nair documented the incident on her Instagram. The actress carried a 15 cm jasmine garland in her luggage. She faced the fine because she was not aware of the regulations.
Nair explained that her father gave her the jasmine garland. He had split the garland and told her to wear one part of it on the journey from Kochi to Singapore, and keep the other piece in her handbag to use at the airport. She admitted her error but insisted that it was unintentional. Australian authorities have given her 28 days to settle the fine. She is known for performances in films across Malayalam, Tamil, and Kannada.