L2 Empuraan controversy a ‘publicity stunt’ by producers? Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar drops a BIG hint

Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar has hinted that the controversy over Mohanlal-starrer 'L2: Empuraan' may have been a ‘manufactured’ publicity stunt by movie's producers for publicity.

The former Union Minister also ‘credited’ Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for turning it into a political row. “I did not think it was a controversy in the beginning. This is a manufactured controversy. Perhaps it was a strategy of the producers to give it visibility and publicity,” Chandrasekhar, the newly-appointed BJP chief of Kerala was quoted by the Indian Express from a weekly podcast.

On Sunday, Chandrasekhar made it clear that he won't watch L2: Empuraan and that the movie's attempt to build a story by distorting the truth is doomed to fail. Chandrasekhar told Indian Express that he wanted to watch the movie initially because it was a sequel to the hit film Lucifer. But later, he said, he dropped the plan after the makers said they were incorporating 17 cuts, and Mohanlal also expressed regret.

“I decided not to see it now because Mohanlal himself said that he felt upset. When Mohanlal himself has problems with his movie, why should I watch it? If he is not happy with his product, why should I buy a ticket and popcorn to watch it? When Mohanlal and producers come out with a fine product after cuts, I am ready to watch it,” the Kerala BJP chief and former Union Minister.

What is the 'L2: Empuraan' controversy?

Chandrasekhar's remarks came at a time when Sangh Parivar leaders and activists intensified their attack against certain portions of 'L2: Empuraan', the film which is a sequel to the 2019 blockbuster, Lucifer.

The Sangh alleged that it was against the interests of the nation, perhaps referring to scenes to some scenes in the movie, including those depicting 2002 Gujarat riots.

The backlash from right-wing social media and Hindu organisations in Kerala accused the film of misrepresenting their faith, leading to calls for a boycott

Mohanlal acknowledged the discomfort some segments of the film had caused to the fans and assured them that his team had decided to remove such references. The producers of 'L2: Empuraan' have announced that the film will undergo revisions in response to the controversy and that about 17 scenes, including those featuring riot sequences and depictions of violence against women, will be edited out.

Why should I fuel Pinarayi Vijayan’s controversy?

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan watched the "L2: Empuraan" along with his family members at a multiplex theatre on Saturday night.

“When there was so much talk about it,some people liked it and some people did not. Pinarayi Vijayan really liked it. Then I decided I would not go for the movie because I did not have that kind of motivation to watch it in such circumstances ...Why should I fuel Pinarayi Vijayan’s controversy?," the BJP leader told Indian Express.

Chandrasekhar leader had said in a social media post that he was disappointed by this sort of movie-making. "I had watched Lucifer and had liked it. I had said that I would watch the movie Empuraan when I heard it was a sequel to Lucifer," he said in a Facebook post.

Chandrasekhar had earlier endorsed the stand taken by senior party leader MT Ramesh that a film should be seen as a film. "But now I have come to know that the makers of the movie themselves have made 17 amendments in the movie and that the movie is undergoing re-censorship," he said in the Facebook post.

"A movie should be watched as a movie. it can't be seen as history. Also, any movie that tries to build a story by distorting the truth is doomed to fail. So, will I watch this sequel to Lucifer? No. Am I disappointed by this type of moviemaking? - Yes," Chandrasekhar said

The Prithviraj-directed film is the second part of the 'Lucifer' movie, a trilogy planned by the Prithviraj-Mohanlal team.

'L2: Empuraan' Box Office

'L2: Empuraan', which had its worldwide release on Thursday, had 4,500 shows in 746 screens in Kerala alone on the opening day.

According to industry tracker Sacnilk.com, L2: Empuraan has minted an estimated 11 crore (India net) until 10 pm on Monday. With this, the estimated India Net earning of Mohanlal's film has reached ₹70 crore.

(With PTI inputs)