The Malayalam film L2: Empuraan, which released on March 27, 2025, is set to undergo 17 cuts following controversy over its depiction of the 2002 Gujarat riots, the production team has confirmed, as per a report on NDTV. The revised version is set to release in theatres next week. Reports indicate that scenes depicting violence against women and riots will be removed, the antagonist’s name, Baba Bajrangi, will be changed, and certain dialogues will be muted. The decision reportedly follows after a section of the Right Wing objected to certain portions of the film.

Mohanlal’s L2: Empuraan to undergo 17 cuts after Gujarat riots controversy, revised version to release next week: Report

Producer Gokulam Gopalan previously stated that the film had received clearance from the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) but the cuts were being made to avoid hurting the sentiments of a section of people. Director and actor-filmmaker Prithviraj Sukumaran has reportedly agreed to the changes.

Despite the controversy, L2: Empuraan has reportedly achieved significant box office success, becoming the fastest Malayalam film to gross over Rs. 100 crores globally within two days.

While the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) has not staged a protest against the film, state party chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar expressed disappointment and stated that he would not watch it. He said, “I had watched Lucifer and had liked it. I had said that I would watch the movie Empuraan when I heard it was a sequel to Lucifer. But now I have come to know that the makers of the movie themselves have made 17 amendments in the movie and that the movie is undergoing re-censorship. I understand that there were topics in the movie that disturbed Mohanlal fans and other viewers.”

“A movie should be watched as a movie. it can't be seen as history. Also, any movie that tries to build a story by distorting the truth is doomed to fail. So, will I watch this sequel to Lucifer? No. Am I disappointed by this type of moviemaking? Yes,” he added.

BJP leader and former Union minister V Muraleedharan stated that the party has already clarified its stance. “As a film lover and somebody who enjoys the film, each individual can have their opinion. I have not yet seen the film. As regards the party stand, the state president has said very clearly. I don't think I should go beyond that and defy the state president because he is the final authority as regards matters related to the state,” he said.

Meanwhile, K. Ganesh, state general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, has called for an investigation into Prithviraj Sukumaran’s “foreign connections,” alleging that his films follow an “entirely anti-national” pattern.

The BJP's ideological parent, the RSS, has criticized L2: Empuraan in its mouthpiece Organiser, calling it a “disturbing, divisive tale disguised as cinema.” The article stated, “Empuraan isn’t just a bad film, it's an attack on faith, on political plurality, and on the very soul of balanced storytelling.”

Meanwhile, a section of social media users has slammed the movie, as well as Prithviraj Sukumaran and Mohanlal.

More Pages: L2E: Empuraan Box Office Collection , L2E: Empuraan Movie Review

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