‘L2: Empuraan’ opens to packed theatres, but Mohanlal-starrer movie is under political fire. Here’s why

The much-awaited Mohanlal-starrer L2: Empuraan, directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, garnered an overwhelming response on its opening day in theaters on Thursday.

However, it quickly became the center of intense controversy due to its political undertones, as reported by PTI.

Why is it under a political fire?

The film, which is the second installment in the Lucifer trilogy by the Prithviraj-Mohanlal duo, has ignited intense debates due to its critique of right-wing politics and subtle references to the Gujarat riots. Its provocative content has fueled widespread discussions in the media and among audiences, further amplifying its already massive buzz.

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On its opening day, the Sangh Parivar strongly criticized the film on social media, condemning its political undertones. Meanwhile, the Congress and certain Left-leaning groups lauded the film for portraying right-wing politics in a negative light, celebrating it as a bold cinematic statement.

However, scriptwriter Murali Gopy, who Sukumaran endorses as his ‘co-creator,’ dismisses the controversy, saying everyone has the right to interpret the film in their way.

“I will keep total silence on the controversy. Let them fight it out. Everyone has the right to interpret the film in their way,” Gopy told PTI.

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Gopy said the film has mention of the social and political atmosphere in the country and some people have expressed their views against it and others have accepted it. “Let them interpret it. I will keep mum,”he said.

Social media users say, ‘anti-Hindu’

Some right-wing media handles, including Sanatana Dharma, have dubbed the film as “anti-Hindu”, saying Prithviraj had deceived Mohanlal and his fans by making such a movie.

Another right-wing platform, Hindu Post, claimed, “Empuraan has revealed itself to be an overt Hindu-bashing propaganda film, portraying Hindus as villains amid the ongoing genocide of Hindus across the subcontinent, including India.”

BJP maintains ‘distance’

However, the BJP state unit decided to stay away from the controversy, stating that the audience should form their own opinions after watching the film. BJP state general secretary P. Sudheer clarified that the party is not launching any campaign against the movie.

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“The film will go its way, and party will do its work. The party will not be affected by any film. The Sangh Parivar activists have the right to express their views and let the audience decide whether it is good or bad,” he told reporters here.

Here's what Congress thinks

Congress vice president and former MLA V T Balram said he was amused by the reception the Malayalam movie with strong political content had in the theatres.

Bineesh Kodiyeri, actor and son of late CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, in a post, praised the makers of 'L2: Empuraan, ' saying they “deserved bravery awards for attempting to reveal the present-day reality.”

Kerala State Youth Congress president and Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkoottathil, who praised ‘Empuraan’ as a pan-Indian film that speaks Malayalam, said the hate campaign against Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran and Murali Gopy over its political content cannot be accepted in any way.

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"The same people who advocated freedom of expression for films based on unfounded lies and religious hatred like 'Kashmir Files' and 'Kerala Story,' have now come out against 'Empuraan'," he said in a Facebook post on Friday.

However, some Left-leaning media handles chose not to participate in the debate for "the total negligence in the film about the presence of the Left."

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

(With inputs from PTI)