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Although the movie made big bucks at the box office and emerged as the second highest-grossing Indian film of the year so far, the journey to the top was anything but easy for actor Prithviraj Sukumaran’s third directorial venture, the Mohanlal-starrer L2: Empuraan. Embroiled in a controversy over its content, particularly the scenes set against the backdrop of the 2002 Gujarat pogrom, Empuraan made headlines for all the wrong reasons upon release, and the film’s team even had to make “voluntary modifications” to the version that was already approved by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and was running in theatres.
Renowned actor Prakash Raj recently commented on the issue, criticising the unfortunate fate the movie met. “We can’t make certain kinds of films in this country. They won’t let it because there is censorship. Earlier, there was censorship at the state level, and now, they have clearly brought in central censorship. They decide what should be (made). The film industry is very vulnerable; there’s a lot of money involved. Their whole idea is to put so much pressure so that the next generation, at the writing stage itself, realises that something shouldn’t be written. They don’t want this discourse, and they are very clear about it,” he said during a chat with The Lallantop.
Cinema Anatomy | Apology and betrayal: Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran and Murali Gopy’s L2 Empuraan is not the interactive cinema we had hoped to experience one day
“Take the case of Empuraan; they okayed it first, and when the backlash came, they wanted to okay it again. One can clearly see which films will get a free pass. Films like The Kashmir Files will get approved, but certain other films won’t be. There’s a conscious, planned attempt. However, all parties do it. Now it’s the BJP doing it, but this practice was present earlier too. All major powerful governments are intolerant,” he added.
Also starring Prithviraj, Abhimanyu Singh, Tovino Thomas, Manju Warrier, Indrajith Sukumaran, Jerome Flynn and Andrea Tivadar in key roles, Empuraan served as the second instalment in a planned trilogy that commenced with the 2019 political thriller Lucifer.
The veteran actor went a step further, alleging that his political stance and outspoken criticism of the right-wing government had cost him dearly, resulting in fewer movie offers. “It’s happening, and it will continue to. It’s not as if the politicians are asking them (movie personnel) not to cast me, but they are simply afraid. They are scared that if they do a movie with me, they might end up not getting what they want. But that’s the part and parcel of it. However, that makes me stronger to say that if something isn’t right, one should fight against it and raise voice. However, compared to others, considering that I have worked for 30 years and am financially settled, it’s easier for me now. So, I can’t expect a young actor to rebel with me. But, at least let me not keep quiet. I’m also from the South, where they don’t have a stronghold,” he added.
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