Mohanlal and Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Empuraan back on track as co-producer dispute resolved; makers reveal FDFS timing

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“It is to resolve the issues between them that we have to try, right? An industry shouldn’t suffer because of these problems. That’s why I intervened. I believe the dispute has been resolved in a way that didn’t cause any trouble to anyone,” he shared during a chat with Reporter Live, expressing confidence that the film will arrive on its originally planned date.

While the full extent of Sree Gokulam Movies’ involvement remains unclear, Gopalan was asked whether his company had to reimburse Lyca Productions in full for its investment in Empuraan till now. Without going into specifics, he stated that such transactions are common in large-scale business deals. “This is not a difficult matter for businessmen who conduct their buying and selling through fair channels,” he said, pointing out that there are banks and finance companies who offer a helping hand now. Nonetheless, a deeper reading of his remarks suggests that Lyca Productions has almost entirely exited the project.

Watch Empuraan teaser here:

Empuraan is the second installment in a planned trilogy that began with Lucifer (2019). While the first film had only Aashirvad Cinemas as its sole producer, given Empuraan’s large scale, Lyca Productions was brought on board as a co-producer. Over the past few years, however, Lyca has faced severe financial setbacks, with several of its big-budget ventures — such as Chandramukhi 2, Lal Salaam and Indian 2 — bombing at the box office, while films like Vettaiyan and Vidaamuyarchi underperforming despite high expectations.

Empuraan’s FDFS will begin at 6 am.

For Empuraan, Sree Gokulam Movies’ involvement also provides a key advantage, as the company is one of Kerala’s leading film distributors. Just a day after Gokulam came on board, the team ramped up promotions, announcing on Sunday that the movie’s first-day first-show (FDFS) will begin at 6 am. Meanwhile, ahead of Empuraan, Aashirvad Cinemas has also announced the re-release of Lucifer, which will once again hit the screens on March 20. Also starring Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas, Abhimanyu Singh, Jerome Flynn, Eriq Ebouaney, Indrajith Sukumaran and Suraj Venjaramoodu in key roles, the movie is penned by Murali Gopy.