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Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan condemned Sangh Parivar’s hate campaign against Empuraan, while Congress' VD Satheesan also criticized BJP-RSS. Amid pressure, the makers announced edits, but the film still broke records with an ₹80 crore opening weekend.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday strongly condemned the Sangh Parivar for "unleashing communalism through widespread hate campaigns" against the Malayalam blockbuster L2 Empuraan, starring superstar Mohanlal.
The communal hate campaign against and its creators is deeply disturbing. This is yet another example of a growing pattern where coercion and intimidation are used to silence dissent - tactics that have always been hallmarks of authoritarianism. Undermining creative…
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan)The CM, who watched the film a day earlier, said that the Sangh Parivar's outrage stemmed from a reference to "one of the most brutal genocides the country has ever seen."
"I saw Empuraan, a film that is taking the Malayalam industry to new heights, at a time when the Sangh Parivar is orchestrating communal hate campaigns against it, its actors, and its crew," Vijayan wrote on Facebook.
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He further alleged that even BJP and RSS leaders had joined the attack, issuing public threats against the film. He decried the pressure to re-censor the movie, calling it a dangerous assault on creative freedom.
"This atmosphere of fear created by the Sangh Parivar is worrying. Art and artists must not be attacked simply for taking a stand against communalism," he said. "In a democracy, the right to create, watch, and critique films must be upheld. The country must raise its united voice against this violation of democratic rights."
Vijayan echoed this sentiment on X, calling the campaign against Empuraan "deeply disturbing" and warning against the growing trend of coercion and intimidation to silence dissent.
Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, Congress’ VD Satheesan, also lashed out at the Sangh Parivar, accusing it of distorting history and suppressing free expression.
"The Sangh Parivar neither understands history nor respects it," Satheesan wrote on Facebook. "They believe freedom of expression is only for narratives that suit their agenda. Cinema is a collaborative work of art, and threatening artists into censorship is a sign of cowardice, not strength."
Amid the controversy, the makers of Empuraan announced that the film would undergo edits. Reports suggest 17 scenes—including riot sequences and depictions of violence against women—will be removed.
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Mohanlal, addressing the backlash, issued a statement expressing regret over the distress caused.
"I have come to know that certain political and social themes in Empuraan have caused distress among some of my dear ones," the actor wrote in Malayalam. "As an artist, my films should not promote hatred toward any political ideology or religious group. We take responsibility and will remove such references."
Despite the backlash, Empuraan has shattered box office records. Released on March 27, it became the first Malayalam film to gross ₹80 crore worldwide in its opening weekend, proving that controversy hasn’t deterred audiences.
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