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Date: 29-mar-2025
L2: Empuraan, the highly anticipated Malayalam action-thriller starring Mohanlal and directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, has opened to roaring success at the box office. However, the film has also ignited a fierce political debate due to its depiction of the 2002 Gujarat riots, with several parties and groups taking sharply opposing stances.
While L2: Empuraan was marketed as a mass action entertainer, it dives into politically sensitive territory early on, opening with a dramatized sequence of the Gujarat riots. One of the riot perpetrators is portrayed as the film’s chief antagonist, adding a layer of socio-political commentary to the action drama.
The film's bold narrative has drawn criticism from right-wing groups, accusing the filmmakers of pushing an "anti-Hindu" and "anti-national" agenda. Some handles, like Sanatana Dharma, claimed that director Prithviraj had “deceived Mohanlal fans.”
Despite the outrage from certain Sangh Parivar-affiliated platforms, the BJP state unit in Kerala has officially chosen to stay away from any campaign against the movie. BJP State General Secretary P Sudheer told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, “The party will not be affected by any film... Let the audience decide whether it is good or bad.”
The Kerala State Youth Congress president Rahul Mamkoottathil backed the film, calling it a "pan-Indian film that speaks Malayalam." He slammed the hate campaign, comparing it to support for controversial films like The Kashmir Files and The Kerala Story.
The Congress’ official X (formerly Twitter) handle also weighed in, posting: “People who never stepped foot in Kerala claimed their tax-free C-grade propaganda film was ‘the real Kerala story’... now a world-class Malayalam film exposes their true agenda, and they can’t handle it.”
Murali Gopy, the film’s scriptwriter and Prithviraj’s close collaborator, chose not to engage with the political uproar. Speaking to PTI, he said, “Everyone has the right to interpret the film in their way. I will keep total silence on the controversy.”
Despite the political storm, L2: Empuraan has shattered box office records. It earned ₹24.5 crore in India and ₹67 crore worldwide on its opening day, making it the biggest Malayalam opener of all time. In just two days, it surpassed the ₹100 crore mark worldwide, according to producers Aashirvaad Cinemas.
The controversy may have only fueled more curiosity, cementing Empuraan’s place as one of Malayalam cinema’s most significant cultural moments in recent times.
Source: Hindustan Times
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