'Empuraan' producer asks director Prithviraj to alter film amid controversy
What's the story
Producer Gokulam Gopalan has asked director-actor Prithviraj Sukumaran to alter Empuraan amid allegations that the film hurt some viewers' sentiments.
Gopalan told Manorama Online, "If any scenes or dialogues shown in the movie Empuraan hurt anyone, I have told Prithviraj to make changes."
"Some words have been muted for the time being."
"There have been protests for certain things shown in the movie, and I have asked the director, if he can make any changes, he should."
Financial implications
'Empuraan' producer anticipates high costs for film alterations
Producer Gopalan added, "Don't know what technical difficulties they might face while making the changes, because if it were to be changed in a certain theater, it would cost a lot."
"The film is running in 4,000 cinemas, so my guess is that at least ₹40 lakh would have to be spent making those changes."
"We do not make movies to hurt anyone. We want the audience to be happy."
Film content
'Empuraan' indirectly depicts Gujarat riots, misuse by central agencies
Empuraan, which hit theaters on March 27, indirectly depicts incidents related to the tragic Gujarat riots through the character Zayed Masood, played by Sukumaran.
The film also critiques the alleged misuse of central agencies by the ruling party.
The Kerala Congress's social media handle recently claimed that the film exposes what they term the "Sangh agenda", aimed at dividing Kerala and controlling its coastline and ports.
Censorship compliance
CBFC only asked for minor edits in the film
Gopalan stressed that the film wasn't objected to at the time of release.
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had merely recommended minor edits before clearing the movie.
The overall duration of the film was cut down by only 10 seconds, reports said.
The film stars Mohanlal and Sukumaran in lead roles, along with Tovino Thomas, Manju Warrier, and Abhimanyu Singh.
It is the sequel to the 2019 film Lucifer.