The recently released Malayalam political thriller L2: Empuraan will undergo 17 voluntary cuts following the backlash since its release on March 27. The film has faced criticism and boycott calls from right-wing groups and certain social media users over its portrayal of the 2002 Gujarat riots.

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Also Read: L2 Empuraan Review: The Mohanlal & Prithviraj combo is ultimately a letdown

Controversy over riot depictions

Many critics have accused the film of promoting propaganda and being anti-Hindu. In response, the producers have decided to remove certain riot scenes and depictions of violence against women, according to a report by Manorama News.

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Earlier, the Kerala division of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) addressed the growing social media backlash, stating, “People creating controversy are the ones who have not watched the film. There is no mention of Godhra in Empuraan.”

Also Read: L2: Empuraan: CBFC responds to backlash over Mohanlal film

BJP’s stance on the film

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The Kerala BJP core committee has opted to stay out of the controversy. Kerala BJP leader MT Ramesh reinforced this stance, stating that films should be viewed as works of fiction and nothing more.

What is Empuraan about?

L2: Empuraan is the sequel to the 2019 blockbuster Lucifer and the second instalment in a planned trilogy. Directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran and starring Mohanlal, the film has become the fastest Malayalam movie to gross ₹100 crores ($11.6 million) at the global box office.

Also Read: L2 Empuraan: Why are there calls for a boycott of the Mohanlal movie?

WION's review of Empuraan

L2: Empuraan is the highly anticipated sequel to the 2019 blockbuster Lucifer. Like many sequels, it tries to be bigger and better than its predecessor and ultimately ends up being a letdown. In Empuraan's case, it is not its larger scale or acting that really holds it back but an overindulgent screenplay by its writer, Murali Gopy.

Also Read: L2 Empuraan releases: Did makers reveal the title of part three in the movie?