In the midst of heated debates surrounding his anti-national ideological leanings and cinematic choices, controversial Malayalam actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran returns to Bollywood with Sarzameen, an upcoming political family drama releasing on July 25. The film, directed by Kayoze Irani, son of veteran actor Boman Irani, features a high-profile cast including Kajol and debutant Ibrahim Ali Khan, son of Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh.
While the film’s plot remains under wraps, Sarzameen is being promoted as a gripping political saga exploring themes of power, family, and betrayal. The casting of Prithviraj is a calculated move to re-enter mainstream Bollywood movies, despite his checkered record in Malayalam films.
Following the release of Sarzameen, Prithviraj is set to headline Khalifa, a Malayalam-language revenge thriller directed by Vysakh. The film, which was launched on July 16, 2025, will begin shooting in London on August 6. Aamir Ali is Prithviraj’s character in this project, which is expected to be shot across foreign locations including the UAE, Dubai, Nepal. With its slick visuals and international settings, Khalifa is positioned as another attempt to project so called characters through a one-dimensional, victimhood-driven lens, much like Prithviraj’s previous directorial anti-national effort, Empuraan.
The Empuraan Controversy
Empuraan, the sequel to Lucifer, was directed by Prithviraj and scripted by Murali Gopy. Marketed as a mass action film, it instead shocked audiences with a disturbing opening sequence depicting a Muslim village set ablaze during the 2002 Gujarat riots. The film includes graphic scenes of Hindu men brutally attacking a Muslim child and a pregnant woman, imagery deeply biased.
Prithviraj’s character in Empuraan is named Masood Saeed, a name that bears disturbing resemblance to known terrorists Hafiz Saeed (Lashkar-e-Taiba) and Masood Azhar (Jaish-e-Mohammed). While cosmetic changes were made to avoid direct associations, the implications were clear: Hindu violence pushes Muslims toward extremism. The film thus not only trivialises the horrific killing of 59 Ram devotees in Godhra but also presents a dangerously skewed narrative that seeks to whitewash Islamic terrorism and malign the Hindu community.
Empuraan is not a standalone case, but part of a larger pattern in Prithviraj’s work, where communal fault lines are exploited under the guise of cinematic realism. The director-actor’s continued prominence in the industry despite such films raises uncomfortable questions about ideological bias within Indian cinema.
Who is Prithviraj Sukumaran?
Once seen as a rising star with artistic promise, Prithviraj has increasingly come under fire for his anti-national Islamist agenda, project choices, and political affiliations. He was a key voice in the ‘Save Lakshadweep’ campaign, which opposed progressive reforms introduced by the Modi government. The campaign, far from being an environmental initiative, was deeply communal in its messaging and aimed at opposing the central administration’s efforts to integrate the island territory more closely with the rest of India.
In addition, Prithviraj had earlier announced a film based on ‘Variyamkunnan’, the jihadi leader who led the 1921 Malabar Hindu Genocide. The project received massive backlash for attempting to glorify a historical figure responsible for the massacre and forced conversions of thousands of Hindus in Kerala. Though the film was eventually shelved, the episode further cemented Prithviraj’s image as an apologist for Islamist narratives.
His opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) aligned him with anti-national forces. While the CAA aims to provide refuge to persecuted minorities from neighbouring Islamic countries, Prithviraj joined protests aimed at discrediting the law, presenting it as discriminatory despite its humanitarian intent.
His one of the recent films Jana Gana Mana reveal a pattern of scripting and performance that challenges the legitimacy of Indian state institutions and questions national unity. In Jana Gana Mana, Prithviraj’s character provocatively claims, “This country does not belong to anyone’s father”, a line that attacks nationalist identity.
He promoted Shariah-compliant housing projects in Kerala that cater exclusively to Islamic practices, an act that supports the segregationist vision of pan-Islamic communities. His association with a Halal-compliant real estate venture in Kochi, which features flats facing Mecca, Shariah-style toilets, and dedicated Azan transmission infrastructure, deepens concerns about his alignment with separatist religious ideologies.
Why Promote Those Pushing Anti-National Agenda in Kerala?
Despite the glaring controversies surrounding him, Prithviraj continues to enjoy patronage from some of the biggest names in the Indian film industry. Notably, Telugu director SS Rajamouli has cast him in the much-hyped SSMB29 alongside Mahesh Babu and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. This decision leaves many questioning the moral compass of the industry. Why would a filmmaker of Rajamouli’s stature, and someone celebrated for his patriotic storytelling, associate with a figure consistently accused of promoting anti-national and communal narratives?
Prithviraj has strategically used the fame and visibility gained from Bollywood and other non-Malayalam films to further an anti-national and anti-Hindu agenda within Kerala. By leveraging his pan-Indian image, he amplifies divisive narratives that glorify Islamist extremism while vilifying Hindu communities. His cinematic choices and public campaigns reflect a consistent ideological pattern that undermines national unity and distorts historical truths.
The inclusion of Prithviraj Sukumaran in Sarzameen, Khalifa, and Rajamouli’s upcoming mega-project is not just about casting talent, it is a political act with social consequences. It raises urgent questions about the role of cinema in shaping public consciousness and the responsibilities filmmakers must bear in a culturally and politically diverse nation. Anti-national individuals like Prithiviraj should be boycotted and kept out of the mainstream. As long as figures like Prithviraj are valorised, the film industry risks alienating the very nation it claims to entertain and represent.
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