Actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran has spoken for the first time about the controversy surrounding his film L2 Empuraan, months after its theatrical release. The Mohanlal-starrer faced criticism from political groups for its depiction of the 2002 Gujarat riots and later underwent voluntary cuts.
In an interview with Manorama, Prithviraj clarified that the film was never intended to push a political message. He said that Mohanlal and producers Antony Perumbavoor, Subaskaran Allirajah and Gokulam Gopalan were fully aware of the story from the beginning. According to him, the entire team believed in the narrative and approached the project with sincerity.
‘I Don’t Need to Invest Crores to Share My Political Stance’
Addressing claims that he used the film to express political views, Prithviraj said:
“I don’t need to invest crores to make a film about my political stance. In today’s digital age, issuing a statement on social media is enough. As long as I am honest with myself and have conviction, I don’t need to fear anyone.”
He added that his main goal was to entertain the audience and said he would consider himself a failure only if he could not achieve that.
How the Controversy Began
After its March release, L2 Empuraan drew objections for scenes depicting the 2002 Gujarat riots. Politicians in Tamil Nadu also raised concerns about a subplot involving a dam. The debate escalated when filmmaker Major Ravi claimed that Mohanlal was unaware of the film’s storyline—an allegation that intensified the controversy.
Although the film was cleared by the CBFC before release, the team later made 24 cuts, including changes to scenes and character names.
Box Office and Upcoming Projects
Despite the controversy, L2 Empuraan became the second-highest-grossing Malayalam film, earning Rs 265.5 crore worldwide.
Prithviraj, last seen in the Hindi film Sarzameen, will next appear in Varanasi (Telugu) and Daayra (Hindi).
