The controversy surrounding the Malayalam film “Empuraan” has taken a new turn. Co-producer Antony Perumbavoor announced on Tuesday, April 1, that the film will undergo significant edits, with 24 cuts to be made. This comes after the team initially agreed on 17 cuts. Perumbavoor revealed that re-editing is currently underway, with one part already completed and the second part underway.
Starting Wednesday, April 2, a re-edited version of the Mohanlal-starrer “L2: Empuraan” is expected to hit screens. The new version will remove violent scenes featuring a pregnant woman and change the name of the villain from Bajarangi to Baldev. At the request of Union Minister of State for Tourism Suresh Gopi, his name will also be removed from the film’s “thank you” slide. The film had incorrectly referenced the National Investigation Agency (NIA), but this part will now be muted.
Re-editing “Empuraan”
Perumbavoor clarified that the decision to re-edit the film was a team effort. He stated, “We don’t make films on wrong subjects. The film has been widely accepted, and there’s no need for controversy. The editing has been done keeping some viewers in mind, not due to external pressure.”
Court case against “Empuraan”
A writ petition was filed in the Kerala High Court on April 1, 2025, seeking to stop the screening of “Empuraan”. The petitioner objected to the film’s depiction of communal riots after the Godhra incident, citing the risk of communal violence. Perumbavoor dismissed speculation that director Prithviraj Sukumaran was being blamed, stating that everyone, including Mohanlal, was aware of the decision to re-edit the film.