L2: Empuraan row: ‘Movie that distorts truth doomed to fail’, says BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar; Pinarayi Vijayan catches film before cuts

Amid huge backlash from the right wing for Mohanlal-starrer Malayalam film 'L2: Empuraan', Bharatiya Janata Party Kerala chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who earlier supported the makers, made a u-turn on Sunday and said he wouldn’t watch the film. Chandrasekhar said movies made by “distorting the truth” are doomed to fail. 

Saying he won’t be watching 'L2: Empuraan' in theatres, Chandrasekhar said he liked ‘Lucifer’, the first part of Empuraan, hence he said he would watch the film. “I had watched Lucifer and had liked it. I had said that I would watch the movie Empuraan when I heard it was a sequel to Lucifer.

But now I have come to know that the makers of the movie themselves have made 17 amendments in the movie and that the movie is undergoing re-censorship,” the new Kerala BJP chief said in a Facebook post.

The former Union minister said certain topics discussed in the film have even disturbed Mohanlal fans and other viewers. “A movie should be watched as a movie. It can't be seen as history. Also, any movie that tries 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,” Chandrasekhar said.

The film directed by actor Prithviraj Sukumaran faced backlash from Sangh Parivar for allegedly distorting incidents related to the Godhra riots in 2002. Right-wing leaders alleged the film’s portrayal was biased against Hindus.

The film which was released on March 27 has grossed over Rs 100 crore and running successfully in theatres. Following the backlash, the makers have planned to make 17 cuts in the film and release re-censored version of the film next week.

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan watched the film with family on Saturday night. The opposition Congress slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for opposing the film and expressed solidarity with the makers. Kerala Opposition leader V.D. Satheeshan in a post on Facebook said, “The Sangh Parivar has no significant knowledge of history. Moreover, it is their habit to twist history. They believe that freedom of expression means the freedom to create works that favour them.” Satheeshan said forcing changes in a film through threats and humiliation is not a victory, but, a sign of complete failure and cowardice.