Archive · 16 Nov 2025
Prithviraj Sukumaran Addresses L2: Empuraan Controversy, Denies Political Intent
A movie called L2: Empuraan, starring Mohanlal and directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, was very popular and made a lot of money.
However, some people got upset about scenes in the movie that showed the Gujarat riots.
Prithviraj said that he makes movies to entertain people, not to send a political message.
He explained that he doesn't need to spend a lot of money to make a movie to share his political ideas.
He believes that in today's world, it's easy to share opinions on social media.
He also mentioned that people can twist words online, so sometimes it's okay to stay quiet.
The film was the highest-grossing Malayalam film at one point.
This is the second movie in a planned series that started with Lucifer.
L2: Empuraan, directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran and starring Mohanlal, faced controversy for its depiction of the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Prithviraj Sukumaran stated his sole intention for making the film was to entertain audiences, not to convey a political message.
He asserted that he would not make a film solely for political statements, citing social media as a sufficient platform for expressing views.
Sukumaran noted that online discourse can be volatile, leading to distortion of words, and thus staying silent is sometimes acceptable.
L2: Empuraan was the highest-grossing Malayalam film at the time of its release and is the second installment in a planned trilogy.
- Who
- Prithviraj Sukumaran (actor-director)
- What
- Addressed controversy surrounding L2: Empuraan and stated his filmmaking intent.
- When
- During promotions for his upcoming film Vilayath Buddha
- Where
- Manorama News
- Why
- To clarify his position regarding the L2: Empuraan controversy and his filmmaking philosophy.
Filmmaker's Stance
Controversy and Criticism
Filmmaking Intent
Filmmaker's Stance
Prithviraj Sukumaran states his sole intention for making L2: Empuraan was to entertain audiences and that he would never make a film purely to convey a political message.
Controversy and Criticism
Certain right-wing groups claimed the film's depiction of the 2002 Gujarat riots did not align with their narrative, suggesting a potentially politically motivated portrayal.
Expression of Views
Filmmaker's Stance
Sukumaran believes that in the digital age, social media is sufficient for expressing political views and that staying silent is not wrong due to the weaponization and distortion of words online.
Controversy and Criticism
The controversy suggests that some viewers perceived the film's content, particularly its depiction of historical events, as a form of political statement or commentary.
- Film
- L2: Empuraan
- Director
- Prithviraj Sukumaran
- Lead Actor
- Mohanlal
- Writer
- Murali Gopy
- Controversy
- Depiction of 2002 Gujarat riots
- Previous Film in Series
- Lucifer (2019)
