Writer Murali Gopy speaks out on Empuraan controversy after right-wing supporters criticise Mohanlal film: ‘Let them fight it out’

And just like that, actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Mohanlal-led L2: Empuraan has made a roaring, stupendous entry, showcasing an astounding performance at the box office, shattering records. While the movie made history on its release eve by becoming the first Malayalam film to register a worldwide opening gross of Rs 80 crore, it also reportedly set a new record for the highest opening-day collection in Kerala, surpassing director Lokesh Kanagaraj’s ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay-starrer Leo. Although the movie opened to mixed reactions from audiences and critics, the Mohanlal-starrer is continuing its box office rampage on the second day as well.

Meanwhile, Empuraan has also sparked controversy over its content, particularly the depiction of scenes set against the backdrop of the 2002 Gujarat riots, which occurred in the state when Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister. With the movie featuring the leader of a Hindutva outfit as the main antagonist — portrayed to have orchestrated the mass murder of the family of Zayed Masood, the character played by director Prithviraj, during the riots — the Sangh Parivar has launched a smear campaign against the film. While the Hindutva propagators claimed that the movie was anti-Hindu, the Left and Congress factions have praised the makers for its no-holds-barred portrayal of the right-wing organisations’ hateful and violent actions.

Empuraan movie review | Mohanlal and Prithviraj’s visual spectacle could have benefitted from better writing

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Empuraan’s writer Murali Gopy, however, has dismissed the controversy, while maintaining that people have the right to interpret the film in their own way. “I will keep total silence on the controversy. Let them fight it out. Everyone has the right to interpret the film in their way. Let them interpret it. I will keep mum,” Murali said during a chat with news agency PTI. He also slammed Leftist organisations, contending that they forsook their ideologies long ago. “The Left is non-existent now. They are there on the extreme right,” he claimed.

While Hindutva activists are decrying the movie on social media, the BJP state unit chose to distance itself from the controversy, saying the audience can express their views after watching the film.

Watch Empuraan trailer here:

The second installment to a planned trilogy that commenced with Prithviraj’s directorial debut Lucifer (2019), Empuraan also features Manju Warrier, Abhimanyu Singh, Tovino Thomas, Andrea Tivadar, Jerome Flynn and Indrajith Sukumaran in key roles.

In his review of the movie, SCREEN’s Anandu Suresh wrote that Empuraan is “certainly not another run-of-the-mill pan-Indian film that exists solely to scream ‘look what our star can do!'” He, however, criticised the film’s writing, ultimately giving it three out of five stars.