Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], April 1 : Congress MLA Ramesh Chennithala on Tuesday after watching Mohanlal starrer 'L2 Empuraan' congratulated the superstar and Murali Gopy, the film's writer while condemning the Censor Board's decision to introduce the multiple cuts after a backlash.
Directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, the film, a sequel to 'Lucifer' hit theaters on March 27 and ignited debates over its political and social themes, prompting both criticism and praise from various sectors.
While speaking to ANI, MLA Chennithala urged people to watch the film stating that according to him no portion of the film should have been edited by Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
"I congratulate Mohanlal and Murli Gopy for giving an excellent film to the Indian public. This film definitely has to be seen by the people of our country. I don't think that any part of the film has to be kept down by the censor board. If the censor board is using politics, then that is a different case. Otherwise, no portion has to be cut down."
The Congress MLA also recalled his period of governance and stressed that despite the release of several movies like 'Empuraan', they never resorted to such censorship.
"When we were in power, several such films came against us, but we had never done such a thing. These art, films, and other things reflect the social situation of our society. This film is nothing against anybody."
In a show of support for 'Empuraan', Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday strongly condemned the Sangh Parivar for "unleashing communalism through widespread hate campaigns" against the Malayalam film directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran.
The Chief Minister, who watched the movie on Saturday said that the Sangh Parivar leaders are angered about the film because it referenced "one of the most brutal genocides the country has ever seen."
"I saw the film Empuraan, which is leading the Malayalam film industry to new heights. I saw the film at a time when the Sangh Parivar is unleashing communalism through widespread hate campaigns against the film, its actors and crew," Vijayan wrote in Malayalam in a post on social media platform Facebook.
"The fact that the film references one of the most brutal genocides the country has ever seen has angered the Sangh Parivar, its planners. Not only the followers, but even leaders of the BJP and RSS are raising public threats."
The Chief Minister said that violent calls to destroy and ban artwork and artists are the latest manifestations of fascist attitudes.
"There have even been reports that the producers are being forced to re-censor and edit the film under this pressure. This atmosphere of fear created by the Sangh Parivar is worrying. It is not a good thing for democracy for communalists to destroy a work of art and viciously attack artists just because it has taken a stand against communalism and depicted its horror," he said.
"In a democratic society, the freedom of expression of a citizen must be protected. Violent calls to destroy and ban artwork and artists are the latest manifestations of fascist attitudes. They are a violation of democratic rights. The rights to make films, watch them, enjoy them, evaluate them, agree and disagree, etc., must not be lost. For this, the united voice of this country, which is rooted in democratic secular values, must be raised."
Meanwhile, the production team of 'Empuraan' has announced that the film will undergo revisions in response to the controversy. According to reports, 17 scenes, including those featuring riot sequences and depictions of violence against women, will be edited out.
Mohanlal also issued a statement acknowledging that certain aspects of the film had caused distress to some of his fans and assured that the team had decided to remove such references.
Despite the backlash, 'Empuraan' has achieved remarkable success at the box office. The film, which hit theatres on March 27, became the first Malayalam movie to gross Rs 80 crore worldwide on its opening weekend.