'Empuraan' Makers Announce '24 Voluntary Cuts' In Mohanlal-Starrer Blockbuster Amid Right-Wing Backlash

The controversy surrounding 'Empuraan' has reached a tipping point. Amid calls for censorship of certain scenes in the film, Antony Perumbavoor, co-producer of the movie, has announced 24 cuts in response to viewer concerns.

Initially, it was reported that only 17 cuts would be made to the recently released Malayalam film.

Photo Credit: https://x.com/Mohanlal

The makers have completed editing the first part of 'Empuraan', and the second part of the process is set to begin later today. The re-edited version is expected to be released from Wednesday onwards.

Among the changes are cuts to violent scenes involving a pregnant woman, the alteration of the villain's name from "Bajrangi" to "Baldev", and the removal of Union Minister of State for Tourism Suresh Gopi's name from the film's thank-you slide, following his request.

The film, which originally portrayed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) negatively, has been amended, with those references now muted. Additionally, a vehicle bearing certain religious symbols has been removed from the updated version, as well as a sequence depicting the assault of a woman.

The controversy began when members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) objected to scenes in the film that appeared to reference the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Perumbavoor clarified that the decision to re-edit the film was a collective one.

"We don't make films based on wrongdoings. The film has been well received, and there's no need for any controversy," he said.

He further explained that the re-edit was not a result of external pressure but a proactive step to address concerns raised by some viewers regarding the portrayal of the NIA.

"After we realised that certain sections of society were unhappy, we decided to re-evaluate and make these changes together," he added.

In response to speculation that director Prithviraj Sukumaran, who also stars in the film, was being blamed, Perumbavoor clarified that everyone involved, including superstar Mohanlal, was fully aware of the creative decisions.

"There's no reason to single out Prithviraj," he stated.

The controversy initially began when 'Empuraan' was criticised by Organiser, an RSS-affiliated publication, which first targeted Mohanlal and later shifted its focus to Prithviraj. In reaction to the backlash, the filmmakers decided to make last-minute edits.

The revised version is currently being processed by Qube Cinema, which will distribute the updated digital print to all theatres and screening venues.

In 'Empuraan', Mohanlal reprises his iconic role as Stephen Nedumpally, aka Khureshi Ab'raam. This time, with the help of Zayed Masood (Prithviraj Sukumaran), he makes a powerful return from abroad, aiming to take control of the game again and stop Chief Minister Jathin Ramdas (Tovino Thomas).