Mohanlal fans trend ‘Boycott Major Ravi’ after rumours claim superstar likely to team up with BJP leader for film on Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor

Although no confirmation is available yet, rumours have been circulating for the past few days that Mohanlal is gearing up to join forces with filmmaker-actor AK Raveendran, popularly known as Major Ravi, for yet another movie. Since then, the actor’s admirers have been trending the hashtag #BoycottMajorRavi on social media, emphatically stating that if the speculations are true, they will purposefully skip a Mohanlal movie in theatres for the first time.

With the filmmaker himself taking to social media on Sunday to announce his next project, Pahalgam: Op Sindoor — albeit without revealing details regarding the cast or an official confirmation regarding Mohanlal’s association with it — the superstar’s fans are in full force with their campaign, emphasising that they won’t support this collaboration. But why? The reasons behind the animosity towards Ravi are numerous.

Who is Major Ravi?

A former commando with the National Security Guard (NSG), Major Ravi worked with the Indian Army for 20 years before quitting the force to join the film industry. He started off as an actor and played small roles in movies like Mammootty’s Megham, Mohanlal’s Olympian Anthony Adam and Sradha, as well as Jyothika-Tabu’s Snegithiye and Kamal Haasan’s Aalavandhan, before transitioning to filmmaking. He made his debut by co-directing a movie titled Punarjani, featuring Pranav Mohanlal in the lead role. His performance earned Pranav the Kerala State Film Award for Best Child Artist. He then debuted as an independent director with the Mohanlal-starrer war film Keerthi Chakra. Most of his subsequent movies have revolved around the Army or defence personnel, with notable examples being Mission 90 Days, Kurukshetra, and Picket 43.

Although some of his movies were well-received, Ravi has often been heavily slammed for not maintaining a consistent level of quality in filmmaking, with Kandahar, Karma Yodha, and 1971: Beyond Borders being his most criticised works. Unfortunately, all three featured Mohanlal in lead roles.

#BoycottMajorRavi and its link with Empuraan controversy

One of the main criticisms Mohanlal often faces from his fans is his tendency to commit to his friends’ films without a second thought. One section of admirers believes that many of his so-called friends merely use him to sell their substandard movies, and the current campaign against Major Ravi essentially stems from this concern. Considering that Mohanlal hasn’t received any memorable projects, other than Keerthi Chakra, from this collaboration, fans feel that he is once again making a poor choice if the rumours are true.

Meanwhile, another reason for Malayalees’ strong contempt towards Major Ravi stems from the way he threw director-actor Prithviraj Sukumaran under the bus during the L2: Empuraan controversy, seemingly to appease his political masters. For the unversed, Ravi joined the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2023 and was soon appointed as one of its state vice-presidents. Initially praising the film for its technical brilliance, Ravi did a complete U-turn after right-wingers began bashing the movie over its portrayal of the 2002 Gujarat pogrom, which did not adhere to their narratives. While tearing into the movie, Ravi also stated that Mohanlal had no habit of watching previews of any of his films, indicating that he was only aware of the controversial parts after its release.

He also singled out Prithviraj and writer Murali Gopy for their alleged mishandling of the film’s themes, leading to an even more intense hate campaign against the actor-director. Empuraan’s producer Antony Perumbavoor, however, dismissed Ravi’s claims later, asserting that everyone involved in the project was fully aware of the movie’s story. This hinted that Ravi knowingly made Prithviraj a scapegoat to safeguard his relationship with Mohanlal while also using the controversy for political leverage.

Prithviraj’s fans, who have often shown immense love for Mohanlal, particularly due to the stars’ bond, have also maintained that they won’t support Ravi’s upcoming venture even if it features the Big M, considering how the filmmaker played a key role in the purported witch-hunting of their beloved star.

Along with the hashtag “Boycott Major Ravi,” one Mohanlal fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “We are the ones who stayed together even when you were broken. I request you Laletta please leave this movie even though you remember us. I want to see more good films from you. Go find something new…not the old trash.” Meanwhile, another user noted, “For the first time, I want an L film to be bombed in box office and quality wise. Won’t be watching this.”

A third user wrote, “I’ve decided not to watch the upcoming M-Ravi Mohanlal film in theatres, and I won’t be sharing or promoting any pre-release content related to it on my timeline. Among all his friends, M-Ravi proved to be the worst of all time! Pathetic !!!”

However, Ravi and Mohanlal have yet to respond to whether they will collaborate on the project, inspired by the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, or to the ongoing campaign.

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