Mohanlal betrayed his fans; ‘Empuraan’ must be exposed for its anti-Hindu agenda, says RSS magazine

The RSS mouthpiece Organiser has made scornful remarks about ‘L2: Empuraan’, the upcoming film starring Mohanlal and directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran.

The article titled “Mohanlal’s Empuraan: Prithviraj Sukumaran’s film exploits post-Godhra riots to spread an anti-Hindu political agenda”, written by Vishwarajan, claims that ‘Empuraan’ is not merely entertainment but a platform to propagate an age-old political agenda.

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Criticising the film, the article accuses it of manipulating the backdrop of the 2002 post-Godhra riots to push an “anti-Hindu political agenda”. “Empuraan delves into the sensitive subject of the post-Godhra riots with a clear and alarming bias. Rather than focusing on true historical events, the film uses the 2002 riots to push a divisive, anti-Hindu narrative that poses a serious threat to societal harmony,” the article asserts.

The article alleges that the film serves as a platform to advance an outdated political agenda rather than providing pure entertainment. It further claims that the film uses violence to completely defame the Hindu community; even in situations where they could be depicted as saviours, Hindus are portrayed as villains.

“We must not forget that the culprits of the 2002 Godhra train tragedy were found guilty by the court and punished, while the Congress’s political agenda of using the riots as a tool has been rejected many times by the people of Yet, it remains a mystery why a seasoned actor like Mohanlal has chosen a propaganda-driven story for his movie, one that fosters only hatred among communities,” the article states.

The article further says that the film’s narrative style not only insults Hindus but also opposes pro-Hindu political ideologies. It alleges that a character resembling a BJP supporter is portrayed as a cruel person determined to destroy the culture of Kerala. The article also accuses Mohanlal of betraying his fans by acting in such a film, stating that those who supported him regardless of politics now find themselves in a difficult position.

The article not only criticises the film’s director, Prithviraj Sukumaran, but also highlights his past political stances. “In the past, he (Pritviraj) had announced a project on Variyamkunnan, a leader of the Jihadi clan during the 1921 Malabar Hindu genocide in Malappuram, Kerala. He was responsible for the massacre and forced conversion of thousands of Hindus during the Malabar Hindu genocide in 1921. The announcement of that film triggered significant backlash from the public over attempts to distort history, ultimately leading to its shelving.

Prithviraj has also faced criticism for his stance on Lakshadweep. His stance on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has also come in for serious criticism in the article.

“Moreover, he (Prithviraj) actively campaigned against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), aligning himself with protests opposing a law designed to provide refuge to persecuted minorities from neighbouring Islamic countries,” the article states.

Stating that the film uses the backdrop of the 2002 post-Godhra riots to push a divisive, anti-Hindu narrative that poses a serious threat to societal harmony, the article asserts that there is no doubt that ‘Empuraan’ should be exposed nationally as an anti-Hindu and anti-India film.

Meanwhile, Yuva Morcha Kerala general secretary K Ganesh has urged the national investigation agencies to investigate the foreign ties of ‘Empuraan’ director Prithviraj Sukumaran. Ganesh expressed suspicion over Prithviraj’s alleged nexus with a certain gang while he was stranded in Jordan during the shooting of ‘Aadujeevitham’.

“It is reasonable to suspect that Prithviraj is spreading such anti-national ideas through his films, motivated by the ideology of terrorist groups, including ISIS,” Ganesh wrote on Facebook.

Meanwhile, as controversies surrounding ‘Empuraan’ intensified, the makers have reportedly decided to make changes to the film. The producers have voluntarily approached the censor board to modify over 17 scenes.

Seventeen cuts are being considered, including a change in the name of Baba Bajrangi, the antagonist who leads a mob. The character appears to reference Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for masterminding the Naroda Patiya massacre during the 2002 riots.

Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty questioned why ‘Empuraan’ was subjected to censorship cuts while ‘The Kerala Story’, which he claimed portrayed Kerala in a defamatory manner, was not. He said that the Gujarat riots and the Godhra incident are part of Indian history, and no matter how much one tries to cover them up or edit them out, future generations will continue to learn about them.