Prithviraj Sukumaran defends violence in ‘friend’ Unni Mukundan’s Marco: ‘You watch a violent film and complain about the violence?’

Empuraan actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran defended the controversial film Marco, which stars Unni Mukundan. Marco was criticised in some quarters for being excessively violence, but Prithviraj said that this is an unfair accusation.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | March 22, 2025 12:36 PM IST

2 min read

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The blockbuster film Marco broke the Rs 100 crore barrier at the box office recently, but it also attracted a lot of controversy for its hyper-violent content. The movie, starring Unni Mukundan as a vengeful mass murderer, involved scenes in which children were killed brutally and graphically. The film also raised questions about the Central Board of Certification’s perceived lenience to violence, while it shows prudishness towards scenes involving sensuality. The film’s television premiere was barred by the CBFC for this very reason.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, L2: Empuraan actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran defended Marco, and said that the filmmakers behind it didn’t dupe audiences. Prithviraj was joined by his Empuraan star Mohanlal, who also offered his two cents about violence in cinema. The legendary actor said, “It’s all about the situation. If the situation demands that kind of bloodshed, it is fine. You have to justify it, that’s the thing. Otherwise, we’ll have a difference of opinion. Am I right?” He looked at Prithviraj, who said, “I disagree with people having a problem with a film like Marco.”

Also read – Marco: Unni Mukundan’s reprehensible film ruins Malayalam cinema’s reputation singlehandedly; Bollywood isn’t the only industry learning all the wrong lessons

He explained, “It never pretended to be anything else. Unni is a friend, and I know that from the time they set about to make the film. The first announcement itself was about violence. They told us that it would be never-before-seen violence, voyeurism upon violence, slasher film on steroids. That’s what they kept saying. They never fooled you into thinking that it was about something else. They kept saying it’s the most violent film… And then you go watch it and complain about the violence? Come on.”

Prithviraj said that action and violence need to be contextualised in films, while Mohanlal agreed that as long as the audience knows what its getting into, there should be no issue. Directed by Haneef Adeni, Marco was released in theatres in December, after which it debuted on SonyLIV in February. It made over Rs 100 crore worldwide against a budget of Rs 30 crore.

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