Malayalam film superstar Mohanlal expressed regret on March 30 over distress caused by political and social themes in his new film, L2: Empuraan, sequel to Lucifer. His statement of regret follows backlash by BJP and RSS over the film’s alleged portrayal of the 2022 Gujarat riots, leading to the Central Board of Film Certification asking for 17 changes.
“As an artiste, it is my duty to ensure that none of my films harbours animosity towards any political movement, ideology or religious group,” Mohanlal posted on Facebook. “I have come to understand that certain themes introduced in Empuraan have caused distress among many who care for me… We have collectively decided to remove such themes from the movie.”
Meanwhile, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan of the CPM and opposition leader V.D. Satheesan of Congress defended Empuraan, condemning alleged efforts by the Sangh Parivar to force the producers to make changes in the film. The chief minister, who saw the film on Sunday, said on social media, “I watched it amidst widespread hate campaigns unleashed by the Sangh Parivar and communal forces against the film, its actors and its crew.”
The film, which released on March 27, has drawn sharp criticism from BJP and RSS members in Kerala. They feel, some scenes in the film were “purposefully designed to reinforce the image of Hindus as the primary aggressors during the 2002 riots”. BJP’s Kerala unit president said that he would not watch the movie as the makers themselves had made 17 amendments and the film was undergoing re-censorship. “I understand, there were topics in the movie, that disturbed Mohanlal fans and other viewers,” he posted on Facebook.
However, the chief minister accused the Sangh-linked groups of attempting to suppress the film for depicting historical realities. “The film references one of the most brutal genocides the country has seen… functionaries of BJP and RSS are issuing open threats. It is not a tribute to democracy when communalists can destroy a work of art and viciously attack artistes for taking a stand against communalism and depicting its horrors.”
Congress’ Satheesan accused RSS of attempting to distort history. “They believe that freedom of expression means the freedom to create narratives that favour them,” he said. “It is a sign of utter failure and cowardice. No matter how much one tries to cover it up, historical truths will always stand clear.”
