Following a massive hate campaign by Hindutva social media handles, Sangh Parivar leaders, and right-wing mouthpieces over the portrayal of the Gujarat Muslim genocide and the Naroda Patiya massacre, the producers of the superhit film starring Mohanlal, L2: Empuraan, have reportedly instructed the filmmaker to remove the Gujarat genocide scenes.
L2: Empuraan producer Gokulam Gopalan has said that he has asked director-actor Prithviraj to make changes to the film, report several Malayalam media outlets.
The most hyped Malayalam film ever has sparked fierce hate campaigns from Hindu right-wing handles, who find its perceived political undertones difficult to digest.
Upset over the film’s portrayal of incidents—including the 2002 Gujarat Muslim Genocide (though not named), Hindutva forces’ attempts to gain a foothold in Kerala, and the misuse of government agencies to silence opponents—Hindutva groups have launched a hate campaign against Empuraan.
This includes mass ticket cancellations of the movie, which has set a new record for Malayalam cinema, becoming the first film in the industry to sell over 1 million advance tickets on the online ticketing platform BookMyShow.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) mouthpiece Organiser criticised the Malayalam film and accused it of using the backdrop of the 2002 Gujarat genocide to push an “anti-Hindu political agenda.” It also stated that Prithviraj was a deeply polarising figure. Many, including the BJP youth wing Yuva Morcha’s state leadership in Kerala, launched a fresh hate campaign against Prithviraj, claiming that he has links with international terrorist groups.
The movie L2: Empuraan features a character named Baba Bajrangi, portrayed by Abhimanyu Singh, who has sparked discussion about possible real-life inspirations. Babu Bajrangi, whose real name is Babubhai Patel, was a Bajrang Dal leader convicted for his role in the 2002 Naroda Patiya massacre during the Gujarat genocide.
In Empuraan, Baba Bajrangi is depicted as a Hindu nationalist politician involved in communal violence in 2002, which bears similarities to the Gujarat genocide. The character leads a mob responsible for significant bloodshed, including a subplot involving the massacre of a Muslim family, which many viewers link to the real-life events Babu Bajrangi was associated with.
The edit is expected to be completed by Monday, with the uncut version of the film continuing its theatrical run in the meantime.
According to reports, the film’s producers have decided to implement 17 cuts, along with muting certain dialogues. Additionally, the name of the antagonist, Baba Bajrangi, will be altered.
In response to the hate campaign, the filmmakers, including Aashirvad Cinemas, have voluntarily submitted a revised version of the movie for re-censorship. Manorama News reports that once the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) gives its approval, the modified version will be re-released in theatres next week.
Meanwhile, the movie has surpassed ₹100 crore in just two days, claimed the producers. Read the review here.
