Malayalam superstar Mohanlal has issued an apology following a wave of criticism from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cadres over certain scenes in his latest film 'Empuraan'.
The actor took to Facebook to express regret over the "emotional distress" caused by the film and confirmed that the contentious scenes would be removed.
In his post, Mohanlal said, "I understand that certain socio-political themes introduced in the making of 'Empuraan', the sequel to the 'Lucifer' franchise, have caused considerable mental distress among some of my loving fans. As an artist, it is my duty to ensure that none of my films harbour hatred towards any political movement, ideology, or religious group."
He added, "We, the Empuraan team and I, sincerely regret the distress caused to our beloved viewers. We acknowledge our collective responsibility and have decided to remove the objectionable content from the film."
The backlash from the Sangh Parivar came soon after the film's release on Friday, with criticism directed at scenes reportedly referencing the 2002 Gujarat riots.
BJP Kerala President and former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar publicly stated that he would not watch the film, accusing it of distorting facts.
RSS national leaders, including J. Nandakumar and A. Jayakumar, also took to social media to voice their disapproval.
Several RSS-affiliated cyber handles in Kerala echoed the sentiment, calling out the film's political messaging.
The film, directed by actor-filmmaker Prithviraj Sukumaran, is a sequel to the 2019 blockbuster 'Lucifer'.
Despite a strong opening at the box office, 'Empuraan' quickly drew controversy over its portrayal of central agencies such as the National Intelligence Agency, the Intelligence Bureau, and the Enforcement Directorate, which were shown in a bad light.
According to sources close to the film's production, these scenes will also be removed during recensorship.
RSS supporters accused the regional board of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) of negligence for passing the film without proper scrutiny.
The sources further revealed that 17 cuts will be made to the film, and the name of the protagonist, 'Bhajarangi', will either be muted or removed altogether.
Concluding his note, Mohanlal wrote, "For the past four decades, I have lived my film life as one of you. Your love and faith are my strength. I believe Mohanlal can't exist without that."
