The highly anticipated Malayalam film Empuraan, directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran and starring Mohanlal, has triggered a heated political debate in Kerala. The Congress party has hailed the film as a “world-class exposé of the Sangh Parivar’s divisive politics,” fueling controversy over its political undertones.
A sequel to the 2019 blockbuster Lucifer, Empuraan reportedly features scenes referencing the 2002 Gujarat riots, including the alleged violent massacre of Muslim families, among them the family of Prithviraj’s character, Zayed Masood. The depiction has led to sharp political reactions, with Congress and Left-leaning groups endorsing the film, while right-wing factions have condemned it as “anti-Hindu propaganda.”
Political Backlash & Support
The Kerala Congress took to X (formerly Twitter) to mock the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) criticism, stating: "People who never stepped foot on Kerala’s soil were saying that a c-grade propaganda movie they released tax-free was the real Kerala story. Now a world class film Malayalam movie exposed the Sangh agenda and the division they plan in Kerala to capture control of our vast coastline and two major ports, they started crying."
"Meanwhile team @INCKerala is enjoying this meltdown. #Empuraan," it said.
Congress leaders in Karnataka also weighed in, highlighting the BJP’s contrasting stance—while aggressively promoting The Kerala Story, the party is now vehemently opposing Empuraan.
In post, Karnataka Congress said, "The Mohanlal-starrer, L2: Empuraan, a sequel to 2019's ‘Lucifer’, is opposed by BJP, who openly campaigned for Kerala Story."
Filmmakers Respond
Amid the intensifying debate, Murali Gopy, the film’s scriptwriter and Prithviraj’s longtime collaborator, sought to downplay the controversy. He stated that the movie Empuraan is open to interpretation, allowing audiences to derive their own meanings from its narrative.