Thiruvananthapuram: Mohanlal, lead actor of the Malayalam action-thriller Empuraan, has issued an apology on social media for “hurting sentiments” amid a raging political controversy over the portrayal of the 2002 Gujarat riots in the movie, as well as the Sangh Parivar’s criticisms of the blockbuster.
Under trolling by some social media handles since its 27 March release, Empuraan came under attack Friday in an article in the Organiser, the mouthpiece of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The article slammed the film, saying it “is not just about entertainment but a platform to push an age-old political agenda”.
Amid the attacks, one of the movie producers, Gokulam Gopalan, said Saturday that he had asked Empuraan director-actor Prithviraj Sukumaran to make changes.
“I came to know that the portrayal of some of the socio-political themes in the movie has hurt the sentiments of many people who love me. It’s my responsibility to ensure that none of my films hurt the sentiments of any political party, religion, or ideology. We regret the dismay caused to our loved ones. We understand that it was our collective responsibility, and we have unanimously decided to remove the parts that have caused the concern,” Mohanlal wrote on his Facebook Sunday.
Prithviraj Sukumaran also shared his post.
Faced with political backlash, the filmmakers have volunteered to make 17 cuts to Empuraan even as Kerala’s ruling Left and Opposition Congress have rallied behind the movie, expressing concerns over the Sangh Parivar’s threats to artistic freedom.
Starring Mohanlal, Empuraan, the second film in the Lucifer trilogy, was released with much anticipation and a global marketing campaign. Lucifer, the first film, was one of 2019’s biggest Malayalam hits. Reportedly, Empuraan has already grossed nearly Rs 50 crore in three days.
However, the movie, with its references to the 2002 Gujarat riots and the Bilkis Bano rape case, angered the Hindu Right, and many handles have been attacking Prithiviraj over his alleged “IS links” since Thursday. Many Sangh Parivar supporters announced boycotts of the movie even as the BJP’s official leadership in Kerala maintained that the audience should see films as films only.
On Sunday morning, the BJP’s new chief in Kerala, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, said that he was disappointed by the movie. On 27 March, Rajeev had said he would watch it.
“I understand that there were topics in the movie that disturbed Mohanlal fans and other viewers. A movie should be watched as a movie. It can not be seen as history. Also, any movie trying to build a story by distorting the truth is doomed to fail. So, will I watch this sequel to Lucifer? No. Am I disappointed by this type of moviemaking? Yes,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
Support for the movie
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Sunday said the atmosphere of fear the Sangh Parivar had unleashed was worrying.
“I saw the film Empuraan, which is leading the Malayalam film industry to new heights. I saw the film as the Sangh Parivar has been unleashing communalism through widespread hate campaigns against the film and its actors and crew. The fact that the film references one of the most brutal genocides the country has ever seen has angered the Sangh Parivar and its planners. Not only the followers but also the leaders of the BJP and RSS are raising public threats,” he said.
In a show of support for the movie, Kerala Education Minister V. Sivankutty previously asked why there should be cuts in Empuraan when The Kerala Story, which showed Kerala in a bad light, did not face any censoring.
Similarly, Kerala Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan from the Congress party said he would watch Empuraan.
“There is a boycott call for Empuraan everywhere by the Sangh Parivar. The BJP chief, who said he would watch the movie yesterday, changed his opinion today. Some people will not see light even when it is the afternoon. I will watch the movie,” he said.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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