A total of 24 scenes were either altered or removed in the updated version, amounting to two minutes and eight seconds. Producer Antony Perumbavoor, asserted that the changes were made voluntarily and not under external pressure even as it came after widespread criticism by right wing for depiction of Godhra riots.
Published Apr 02, 2025 | 4:35 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 02, 2025 | 4:53 PM
Actor Mohanlal in a still from L2: Empuraan. (Wikimedia Commons)
Synopsis: Facing criticism from right-wing groups over its political messaging, the makers of the Malayalam film L2: Empuraan have “voluntarily” cut or altered 24 scenes, amounting to two minutes and eight seconds. The changes include the removal of references to the 2002 Gujarat riots, the National Investigation Agency, among others.
The beleaguered Malayalam-language film L2: Empuraan has been trimmed by two minutes and eight seconds, following criticism from Hindu right-wing groups over its overt political messaging.
A preview screening of the revised version took place at Artech Cinemas in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday night. The revised version is now screening in cinemas.
A sequel to Lucifer (2019), the film has been re-certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
A total of 24 scenes were either altered or removed in the updated version, which has been approved by a five-member CBFC committee comprising Swarup Kartha, K Roshni Das, GM Mahesh, MM Manjusha and T Nadeem Tufail.
The film, directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran and starring Mohanlal, Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas and others, was released on 27 March across multiple languages.
The decision to re-edit the film comes amid sustained criticism, particularly from right-wing groups, over what they described as distortion of historical events and targeting of Hindu organisations.
A CBFC document detailing the changes.
The CBFC confirmed that the following scenes were removed or altered:
In total, the film’s final runtime is 179 minutes and 52 seconds. No new additions were made.
The film has drawn attention for its portrayal of events resembling the 2002 Godhra riots, in which hundreds from the Muslim community were killed in Gujarat.
Right-wing groups, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), accused the film of vilifying Hindu nationalist organisations. Organiser, the RSS-affiliated publication, published articles alleging that the film depicted Hindus as aggressors during the riots.
The film was also criticised for a scene depicted the rape of a pregnant Muslim woman during communal riots. The criticism came even as the scenes had striking similarities to the case of Bilkis Bano, a survivor of the Godhra riots in 2002. A pregnant Bano was gang raped and 14 members of her family were murdered by a mob of Hindu men.
The backlash prompted Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, who plays the lead role, to issue a statement addressing the concerns. In a Facebook post, he expressed ‘regret’ over the controversy.
Meanwhile, despite the edits, some viewers say the political message remains intact.
“Even though changes were made, the film’s core politics did not fade. This is the bravest Malayalam film to reference the Godhra riots and the impact of the Sangh Parivar on India’s secular fabric,” Ramesh S, a member of a Mohanlal fan association in Kerala, told South First.
“Personally, I am glad that this has sparked widespread discussions, even among the younger generation, about a history soaked in blood. They are now gaining an understanding of the current political landscape.
He continued: “This controversy has exposed how fascism operates, without official orders, without censor board intervention, yet still capable of harming art.”
Producer Antony Perumbavoor, speaking to the media, said the changes were made voluntarily and not under external pressure.
He said the team prioritises viewer sentiments and does not wish to hurt anyone’s feelings.
Perumbavoor also addressed rumours of internal conflict within the production team. He rejected claims that Director Prithviraj Sukumaran had been sidelined or that Lead Actor Mohanlal had not been fully informed about the script.
“We were all fully involved in the project. There is no division among us, we stand together as a team,” he said.
Meanwhile, Perumbavoor confirmed that a third instalment in the Lucifer franchise is already in development.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
