Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran's L2 Empuraan to undergo 17 cuts amid political backlash over depiction of Gujarat riots

Superstar Mohanlal-starrer and Prithviraj Sukumaran-directed L2: Empuraan is set to undergo some changes amid controversy over some of the scenes. According to the movie production team, 17 changes are likely to be made, including edits to the Gujarat riot sequences and scenes relating violence against women.

The Malayalam action thriller was released in theatres on March 27 and is the second installment in the planned Lucifer trilogy and is the sequel to the 2019 blockbuster Lucifer. Empuraan became the biggest Malayalam film opener and registered a worldwide opening gross of Rs 67.5 crore and is storming the box office.

BJP leader V Muraleedharan stated that the party had already "clarified its stand". "The party has already clarified its stand, and the State President has very clearly mentioned the BJP's position. As a film lover and someone who enjoys cinema, each individual can have their own opinion. I have not yet seen the film. As for the party's stance, the state president has made it very clear. I don't think I should go beyond that or contradict him because he is the final authority on matters related to the state," Muraleedharan told the media.

Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BYJM) state general secretary K Ganesh, in a Facebook post, called for an investigation into the filmmaker's "foreign connections," claiming that Prithviraj's films have followed an "entirely anti-national" pattern. "Director and actor of the film Empuraan, Prithviraj's foreign connections should be investigated. After the filming of Aadujeevitham, the ideas propagated through his movies have been entirely anti-national. From Kuruthi to Jana Gana Mana and now Empuraan, his films have consistently featured narratives that whitewash extremist ideologies," the post read.

Ganesh said alleged that L2: Empuraan director Prithviraj Sukumaran's stay in Jordan during the filming of Aadujeevitham should be probed. "During the shooting of Aadujeevitham, he was stranded in Jordan. It is important to investigate whom he was in contact with during his time there," he added. (With inputs from ANI)