Thiruvananthapuram: Superstar Mohanlal issued a statement on March 30, days after the release of ‘L2: Empuraan’, addressing concerns surrounding the film’s political and social themes. The actor acknowledged that certain aspects of the film had caused distress to some of his fans and assured that the team had decided to remove such references.
“I have come to know that some political and social themes that were included in the unveiling of Empuran, the second part of the Lucifer franchise, have caused considerable distress among many of my loved ones,” the actor wrote in a Facebook post.
“As an artist, it is my duty to ensure that none of my films promote hatred towards any political movement, ideology, or religious group. Therefore, both I and the Empuran team express our sincere regret for the distress caused to my dear ones, and we all take responsibility for it, with the realisation that such issues must be removed from the film,” he wrote in Malayalam.
The actor reiterated his gratitude towards his audience, saying, “For the past four decades, it is you, the audience, who have been a part of my cinematic journey. Your love and trust are my strength. I believe there is no Mohanlal beyond that.”
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The statement comes in response to growing controversy over the movie that was released on March 27.
Actor-filmmaker Prithviraj Sukumaran, who has directed the movie, has shared Mohanlal’s Facebook post.
Meanwhile, the production team of ‘Empuraan’ has announced that the film will undergo revisions in response to the controversy.According to reports, 17 scenes, including those featuring riot sequences and depictions of violence against women, will be edited out.
However, the real person in dock is now the director of the movie Prithviraj Sukumaran who is known for his stand against the incumbent government at the centre on various issues as well as on Sanatan Dharma.
Prithiviraj is the voice of the anti-nationals and this is evident from the fact that he was among the prominent figures behind the Save Lakshadweep campaign which sought to oppose the progressive measures introduced by the union government to modernise the islands, portraying them in a communal light.
He was also very vocal during the CAA agitation, urging those opposed to the CAA to ‘rise.’ He was the one who backed the Jamia students during the CAA protests and had stated “revolution is homegrown. Always. #Rise.”…Also, his brother Indrajith Sukumaran had come out in support of Ayesha Renna who was seen confronting the Delhi Police. The CAA protests was carried out by those who were trying to mislead the nation about the Citizenship Amendment Act. Despite Home Minister Amit Shah having cleared the air that the Muslims who are residents of Bharat, their citizenship will not be taken, and misinformation was spread. Prithiviraj’s backing of such a protest clearly indicate his anti-Bharat stand.
Double standards of Prthiviraj can been seen from the fact that he remains mysteriously silent when it comes to local issues, such as the Munambam case, where hundreds of Christian families face eviction by the WAQF Board. He speaks out about the CAA but does not address Hindu persecution in Bangladesh.
Prithviraj is in the dock and his sinister plan clearly stands exposed along with his malafide intention as in the movie Empuraan, he has showcased what happened to primarily to the Islamists post the 2002 Godhra Train. Prithiviraj needs to answer as to why he choose to name the main villain in the movie as Bajrangbali, another name for Hanuman, the greatest devotee of Shri Ram. This character is depicted as the central Home Minister.
Netizens have hit Prithivraj hard as one of the right-wing account by the name Lasitha Palakkal wrote (translated from Mayalam to English): “Hey Rajappa, a running train did not catch fire on its own in Godhra. It was set on fire by a group wearing turbans. Those who burned and died in it were our brothers and sisters. Yet, you chose to whitewash those Jihadis through your movie, Empuraan. To humiliate Mohanlal, you gave him only a few scenes and five dialogues. I think what people are saying is true—that the rest of the movie is filled with Rajappan’s ‘gimmicks.’”
Another netizen Yuvraj Gokul, a popular right-wing activist, wrote, “I haven’t seen Empuraan. I ended up canceling my ticket. As far as I know, the villains in the movie are the Home Minister, the Intelligence Bureau, etc. Meanwhile, Lashkar-e-Taiba is portrayed as the hero.” He concludes his post by apologizing for previously sharing the movie poster on his social media page.
Showcasing such incidents in the movie is not mere coincident and clearly indicates that Prithiviraj’s aim was to make a propaganda movie which would advance the sinister motives of the leftists, anti-Indians etc. It is evident that the main aim of making a propaganda movie like Empuraan is to appease the people from a particular community, mainly the Islamists and openly promote bias and resentment against another, simply because they form the majority. History has clearly showcased that the Hindus, which are a a majority have peacefully tolerated everything and had allowed other communities to thrive in Bharat.
Prthiviraj in the movie Empuraan has misrepresented the facts and this puts him in the dock with regards to his sinister motive. In one particular scene, the movie’s main villain from the pro-Hindu party at the center allegedly declares that Kerala’s 600 km coastline could be used for smuggling drugs and psychotropic substances. This is questionable as presently Kerala is facing severe drug related problems.
For the past decade or so the state of Kerala has been ruled by the Communists and the pro-Hindu party that is the BJP which is at the center does not have hold a single seat in the state assembly. The question which Prithviraj needs to answer is as to why he attempted to pin the responsibility for this on the pro-Hindu party ruling at the center? Well, this is clear case of propaganda and a classic example of constructing a false narrative. Since, Prithivraj’s lineage is towards the left, the movie clearly exhibits his sinister motive.
In wake of the fierce backlash faced over misrepresentation of facts, initially those who were fansof Mohanlal were wanting to watch the movie, they cancelled their tickets.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BYJM) state general secretary K Ganesh, in a Facebook post, called for an investigation into the Prithiviraj’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 the movie’s 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.
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