Communal Hate Campaign Against ‘Empuraan’ Deeply Disturbing: Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday strongly condemned the Sangh Parivar for “unleashing communalism through widespread hate campaigns” against the Malayalam movie ‘L2 Empuraan’ that features superstar Mohanlal.

The Chief Minister, who watched the movie a day before, said that the Sangh Parivar leaders are angered about the film because it referenced “one of the most brutal genocides the country has ever seen.”

“I saw the film Empuran, which is leading the Malayalam film industry to new heights. I saw the film at a time when the Sangh Parivar is unleashing communalism through widespread hate campaigns against the film, its actors and crew,” Vijayan wrote in Malayalam in a post on social media platform Facebook .

“The fact that the film references one of the most brutal genocides the country has ever seen has angered the Sangh Parivar, its planners. Not only the followers, but even leaders of the BJP and RSS are raising public threats.”

The Chief Minister said that violent calls to destroy and ban artwork and artists are the latest manifestations of fascist attitudes.

“There have even been reports that the producers are being forced to re-censor and edit the film under this pressure. This atmosphere of fear created by the Sangh Parivar is worrying. It is not a good thing for democracy for communalists to destroy a work of art and viciously attack artists just because it has taken a stand against communalism and depicted its horror,” he said.

“In a democratic society, the freedom of expression of a citizen must be protected. Violent calls to destroy and ban artwork and artists are the latest manifestations of fascist attitudes. They are a violation of democratic rights. The rights to make films, watch them, enjoy them, evaluate them, agree and disagree, etc., must not be lost. For this, the united voice of this country, which is rooted in democratic secular values, must be raised.”

In a post on X, the Chief Minister said that “communal hate campaign against” ‘Empuraan’ is “deeply disturbing”

“The communal hate campaign against #Empuraan 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 freedom through fear and threats strikes at the very core of democracy. Freedom of expression is a fundamental right; we must stand united to defend it,” he said in the post.

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly VD Satheesan also accused the Sangh Parivar of having “a habit of distorting history.”

“The Sangh Parivar does not know much about history. Moreover, it has a habit of distorting history. The Sangh Parivar thinks that freedom of expression means freedom for constructions created in their favor. Their agenda is to celebrate such distorted works,” Satheesan said in a Facebook post.

“Cinema is the work of a group of artists. Correcting the content of a work of art by threatening, insulting and humiliating through social media is not a success. It is a sign of radical failure and cowardice. Do not forget that no matter how much you try to cover it up, historical truths will always be clear,” he said.

Meanwhile, the production team of ‘Empuraan’ has announced that the film will undergo revisions in response to the controversy. According to reports, 17 scenes, including those featuring riot sequences and depictions of violence against women, will be edited out.

Mohanlal also issued a statement today acknowledgign that certain aspects of the film had caused distress to some of his fans and assured that the team had decided to remove such references.

“I have come to know that some political and social themes that were included in the unveiling of Empuran, the second part of the Lucifer franchise, have caused considerable distress among many of my loved ones,” the actor wrote in a Facebook post.

“As an artist, it is my duty to ensure that none of my films promote hatred towards any political movement, ideology, or religious group. Therefore, both I and the Empuran team express our sincere regret for the distress caused to my dear ones, and we all take responsibility for it, with the realization that such issues must be removed from the film,” he wrote in Malayalam.

Despite the backlash, ‘Empuraan’ has achieved remarkable success at the box office. The film, which hit theatres on March 27, became the first Malayalam movie to gross Rs 80 crore worldwide on its opening weekend. (ANI)