Empuraan vs the right: Too dangerous to remember 2002? | LME 68

Empuraan, starring superstar Mohanlal is as hyped as a Malayalam film can get.

But it has done the unthinkable.

It dared to depict the horrors of the 2002 Gujarat riots… which was among the deadliest communal violence in independent India, killing over 1,000 people, most of them Muslims.

The film admittedly depicts a fictionalised version of the events.

But that did not stop the Hindutva brigade from having a meltdown.

Even the RSS mouthpiece Organiser accused the film of pushing a “divisive, anti-Hindu narrative.”

Empuraan is not without its supporters.

If a blatant propaganda film like The Kerala Story could thrive with full government support—even receiving tax cuts—why the outrage over Empuraan?  – this is what many of its supporters are asking. 

But this comparison itself is flawed and creates a false equivalence.

Let me explain

First up, let’s get this out of the way. 

There is absolutely no comparison between The Kerala Story.and Empuraan.

The Kerala Story is a propaganda piece disguised as a ‘true story,’ deliberately distorting facts to push an agenda.

Empuraan, on the other hand, is a mainstream action thriller that draws from real-life events, but is still upfront about being a work of fiction. 

But let’s talk about why the outrage over Empuraan is misplaced—and why the filmmaker’s buckling is downright ridiculous.

Before we dive into this episode, let me remind you that propaganda films like The Kerala Story and Sabarmati Report were heavily promoted by the BJP. And who enables the right-wing to push these narratives? The so-called mainstream media.  

I’ve done an entire episode breaking down what propaganda films are and how they distort history for future generations. At TNM, we have never shied away from calling out the lies of those in power. Because we don’t hold backdoor meetings with them for funds or sponsorship.

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The makers of Empuraan have labeled the movie as fiction. 

But there is no mistaking what it resembles. The long, harrowing sequences of Hindutva mobs committing atrocities is striking 

And of course, the backlash was swift and predictable.

One of the biggest controversies was the film’s antagonist, Balraj Patel, also named Baba Bajrangi.  

The name was strikingly similar to Babu Bajrangi, a former Bajrang Dal leader from Gujarat.

Bajrangi is a convicted felon, sentenced to life imprisonment.  For his role in the Naroda Patiya massacre, in which up to 97 Muslims were killed by a mob of around 5,000 people.

Another major point of contention in the film was its portrayal of the Godhra train fire, an event said to have triggered the Gujarat riots.  

The fire broke out on the Sabarmati Express and it killed 59 people. The train was carrying Hindu pilgrims returning from Ayodhya.

According to the right-wing and its supporters, the film should have explicitly stated that a Muslim mob was responsible. After all, that is their justification for the horrors that followed in Gujarat.  

Of course, the actual cause of the Godhra train fire remains a topic of heated debate.

The Banerjee Commission — appointed by then Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav — had concluded in 2006 that the fire was an accident. 

An independent investigation by an NGO also supported this finding.

But the Nanavati-Mehta Commission, appointed by the Gujarat state government, said the fire was perpetrated by a mob of Muslims. The court eventually convicted 31 Muslims based on this.

Even so, talking about the 2002 Gujarat riots is practically taboo for the BJP. Because it’s arguably the darkest stain on its record. 

Narendra Modi, who was Gujarat’s Chief Minister at the time, has faced years of allegations over his government’s handling of the violence. 

While courts gave him a clean chit, the BJP still treats the topic like a political landmine—either deflecting, downplaying, or aggressively shutting down discussions. 

Those who try to revisit the riots often face censorship, legal trouble, or outright intimidation. This applies to Journalists, activists or filmmakers

For the BJP, keeping 2002 out of public discourse isn’t just about image control—it’s about ensuring that memory doesn’t turn into accountability.

And it’s not just about 2002. Any critique of the party’s past or present actions risks the same backlash—either directly from the party or from the ecosystem it has created.

From blocking documentaries like the BBC one to pressuring filmmakers to steer clear of political dissent, the message is clear—criticism isn’t welcome. 

We have reached a point where many filmmakers and artists self-censor to avoid backlash.

That’s what happened in the case of Empuraan as well.

Just hours after the film’s release, social media had exploded with threats of boycott. 

Hardcore Mohanlal fans declared themselves ‘ex-fans,’ swearing to never watch his films again. 

Some tried to shift the blame to Prithviraj, accusing him of steering the film in a political direction.

His wife too was not spared. Supriya Menon who is a film producer is also a former BBC journalist. And she has had to endure personal attacks, with some trolls calling her ‘urban naxal’ too. 

Here’s the thing.

Empuraan was never expected to be a political statement in the first place. 

It was the highly anticipated sequel to Lucifer, a 2019 blockbuster. The film featured Mohanlal in a larger-than-life role as Stephen Nedumpally, a politician with a hidden identity.

Of course, Lucifer too had its fair share of political undertones. But it was hardly seen as taking sides. 

Empuraan was expected to be more of the same—slick action, grand visuals, and some political flavour. But no one expected it to wade into such controversial waters.

For years, Mohanlal has carefully avoided direct political affiliations. 

While he has supported actor friends in elections, he has never openly sided with any party. 

But he has shown shades of alignment with BJP-backed initiatives, like supporting Modi’s demonetisation and participating in the ‘light a lamp’ campaign during COVID-19. 

His close friendships with BJP-leaning filmmakers like Priyadarshan and Major Ravi only added to the perception that he was on the right’s good side. 

Even when rumours swirled about him joining the BJP, he kept his distance. Unlike his co-star Suresh Gopi, who fully embraced the party and became Kerala’s first BJP MP.

So, for many right-wing supporters, seeing Mohanlal in a film that openly depicted the Gujarat riots was an act of betrayal. 

Some even demanded that he be stripped of his honorary Lieutenant Colonel title in the Territorial Army.

The problem is, Mohanlal has never been one to take strong public stands. 

Even as president of the A.M.M.A., he was famously or infamously vague when addressing the brutal 2017 actor sexual assault case, which actor Dileep is accused of masterminding. 

Mohanlal tried to be diplomatic, expressing solidarity with the survivor, while stating that he would pray for Dileep.

When it came to pressing industry issues, like the Hema Committee report or the WCC demands, he either sidestepped them or gave frustratingly noncommittal responses.

So, when Empuraan became the target of right-wing outrage, it wasn’t entirely surprising that Mohanlal folded. Within days of release, he made a public statement, expressing regret for hurting sentiments.

The apology came as a matter of disappointment for Malayalam film fans — especially for those who stood by him and the film despite the backlash.

In fact, Mohanlal’s apology came just hours after Kerala’s Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, publicly defended the film. He condemned the attacks and called them a threat to artistic freedom.

It has to be noted — Empuraan hasn’t portrayed the Left in a flattering light either. The film blatantly mocks the Left and its leaders. The Congress is not spared too. The film has a character that could be passed off as Rahul Gandhi and he does not come off looking great.   

But unlike the Sangh, neither the Left nor the Congress chose to attack the film. They only defended it.

Yet, the film makers voluntarily made the decision to make 24 cuts to the film.

Some major cuts include shots of tractors and vehicles passing in front of Hindu religious structures.

A card saying “2002 - India,” indicating the date of the violence, has been changed to read “A few years ago.”

A scene featuring two characters saying an Islamic dua were edited out.

References to Sangh Parivar politics and the NIA were also taken out.

And the name of the antagonist has been changed too.

All this, despite the fact that no official authority or political party had asked for these cuts.

Let’s not forget. Empuraan is not the first film to receive such backlash from the Sangh.

A recent example is Santosh — a film that dared to show caste discrimination, police brutality, and misogyny. And for that, it got blocked in India.

The CBFC refused to clear it, claiming the film was too “sensitive.” 

The filmmakers were asked to make major cuts, but they refused to compromise. 

So, instead of releasing in India, Santosh went straight to Cannes, where it got critical acclaim.

There are more examples.

Remember Padmaavat? The film had received unprecedented backlash. 

Some Rajput groups claimed it insulted their history—before most of them had even seen it.

There were violent protests. Theatres were vandalised. Death threats were issued. A politician even put a bounty on Deepika Padukone’s head.

The BJP-ruled states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat banned the film, and the Supreme Court had to step in and say they can’t do that.

But even after all that, Padmaavat was released. 

Sanjay Leela Bhansali fought for it, and the cast stood their ground.

And then there was Mersal — the Tamil blockbuster starring Vijay.

The BJP was furious. Why?

Because the film dared to criticise demonetisation and GST. 

Just a couple of dialogues pointing out real issues—people struggling for healthcare, tax burdens—and the BJP lost it.

They demanded those scenes to be cut.

But guess what? Vijay did not apologise, nor did he back down.

And the Tamil film industry stood right by him. Directors, actors, even politicians defended Mersal’s right to exist. 

The film stayed intact, and it went on to become a massive hit.

So for many, Empuraan’s censorship isn’t just about that one film. 

It’s about the chilling effect this could have on Malayalam cinema as a whole. 

If a superstar like Mohanlal is forced to bow down, what chance does the average filmmaker or writer have? 

Will right-wing outrage now dictate which stories can be told, which villains can be named, and which historical events can be referenced to?

That’s the real fear here. 

For suggestions and feedbacks write to pooja@thenewsminute.com

Produced by Megha Mukundan, edited by Nikhil Sekhar, script by Lakshmi Priya and Pooja Prasanna

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