NEW DELHI: Amid a heated controversy over his latest film ‘Empuraan’, superstar Mohanlal has issued an apology, expressing regret over the distress caused to his fans. The actor stated that the production team had decided to remove certain elements from the film that sparked an uproar.
In a Facebook post, Mohanlal acknowledged that the inclusion of political and social themes in Empuraan, the second installment of the Lucifer franchise, had upset many of his well-wishers.
“As an artist, it is my duty to ensure that none of my films promote hatred toward any political movement, ideology, or religious group. Therefore, my team and I sincerely regret the distress caused to my dear ones. We also acknowledge that the responsibility for this lies with all of us who worked on the film. With this realization, we have collectively decided to remove such elements from the movie,” he wrote.
The controversy erupted over the alleged depiction of the 2002 Gujarat riots in the film, leading to backlash from BJP-RSS leaders in Kerala. RSS mouthpiece Organiser published an article accusing the movie of vilifying an entire Hindu community. Following strong intervention from the Centre, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) suggested 17 changes and asked the filmmakers to resubmit the film for certification.
A CBFC source revealed that if the modified version is submitted by Monday, it will be cleared for screening by next week. Producer Gokulam Gopalan confirmed that director Prithviraj Sukumaran had been instructed to make necessary changes if any scenes or dialogues had hurt sentiments.
While BJP and RSS leaders strongly opposed the film, Congress and Left leaders praised it, calling it an exposé on the Gujarat riots. The BJP state president, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, had initially wished success for the movie on social media but has yet to remove his post despite mounting criticism from party leaders.
Senior RSS functionary J Nandakumar alleged that the film served “anti-Hindutva interests,” while Congress claimed it exposed the Sangh Parivar’s agenda. “Like Grok, Empuraan has demolished the Sangh Varsity!” posted INC Kerala on X.
Despite BJP leader M T Ramesh’s attempt to downplay the controversy, several Sangh-affiliated groups, including Hindu Aikyavedi and Bharatiya Yuva Morcha, continued to criticize the film. Organiser argued that the movie was pushing an “age-old political agenda” and using the 2002 riots to spread an “anti-Hindu narrative.”
Meanwhile, the film has been a massive box-office success, surpassing Rs 100 crore in less than two days, setting a new benchmark in the Malayalam film industry.
