Chennai, March 30 ,2025
Malayalam superstar Mohanlal has issued an apology following a wave of criticism from RSS and BJP cadres over certain scenes in his latest film Empuraan.
The actor took to Facebook to express regret over the “emotional distress” caused by the film and confirmed that the contentious scenes would be removed.
In his post, Mohanlal said, “I understand that certain socio-political themes introduced in the making of ‘Empuraan’, the sequel to the ‘Lucifer’ franchise, have caused considerable mental distress among some of my loving fans. As an artist, it is my duty to ensure that none of my films harbor hatred towards any political movement, ideology, or religious group.”
He added, “We, the Empuraan team and I, sincerely regret the distress caused to our beloved viewers. We acknowledge our collective responsibility and have decided to remove the objectionable content from the film.”
The backlash from Sangh Parivar organisation’s intensified soon after the film’s release on March 28, with criticism directed at scenes reportedly referencing the 2002 Gujarat riots.
BJP Kerala President and former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar publicly stated that he would not watch the film, accusing it of distorting facts.
RSS national leaders, including J. Nandakumar and A. Jayakumar, also took to social media to voice their disapproval.
Several RSS-affiliated cyber handles in Kerala echoed the sentiment, calling out the film’s political messaging.
The film, directed by actor-filmmaker Prithviraj Sukumaran, is a sequel to the 2019 blockbuster Lucifer.
Despite a strong opening at the box office, Empuraan quickly drew controversy over its portrayal of central agencies such as the NIA, IB, and ED, which were shown in a negative light.
According to sources close to the film’s production, these scenes will also be removed during re-censorship.
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has been criticised by RSS supporters, who accused regional board members of negligence for passing the film without proper scrutiny.
Sources further revealed that 17 cuts will be made to the film, and the name of the protagonist, ‘Bhajarangi’, will either be muted or removed altogether.
Concluding his note, Mohanlal wrote, “For the past four decades, I have lived my film life as one of you. Your love and faith are my strength. I believe Mohanlal can’t exist without that.”
