EMPURAAN MOVIE SPARKS HINDUTVA HATE CAMPAIGN OVER SCENES OF GUJARAT GENOCIDE, SAFFRON VIOLENCE

Fri 28 March 2025:

L2: Empuraan, the most hyped Malayalam film ever, has also sparked fierce hate campaigns from Hindu right-wing handles, who find its perceived political undertones difficult to digest.

Upset over the film’s portrayal of incidents—including the 2002 Gujarat Muslim Genocide (though not named), Hindutva forces’ attempts to gain a foothold in Kerala, and the misuse of government agencies to silence opponents—Hindutva groups have launched a hate campaign against Empuraan.

This includes mass ticket cancellations of the movie, which has set a new record for Malayalam cinema, becoming the first film in the industry to sell over 1 million advance tickets on the online ticketing platform BookMyShow.

The movie L2: Empuraan features a character named Baba Bajrangi, portrayed by Abhimanyu Singh, who has sparked discussion about possible real-life inspirations. Babu Bajrangi, whose real name is Babubhai Patel, was a Bajrang Dal leader convicted for his role in the 2002 Naroda Patiya massacre during the Gujarat genocide.

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In Empuraan, Baba Bajrangi is depicted as a Hindu nationalist politician involved in communal violence in 2002, which bears similarities to the Gujarat genocide. The character leads a mob responsible for significant bloodshed, including a subplot involving the massacre of a Muslim family, which many viewers link to the real-life events Babu Bajrangi was associated with.

An X handle, @pora_babu, called Empuraan “propaganda at its best” and described it as “a brilliantly made, high-budget action entertainer designed to vilify Hindus for their political leanings.”

#Empuraan : Propaganda at its Best

A brilliantly made high budget action entertainer to vilify Hindus for their political leaning SPOILERS AHEAD

P.S : Pics for this thread are taken from free internet portals#EmpuraanReview pic.twitter.com/b8NT7WwFB6

— Revenge mode (@Pora_Babu) March 27, 2025

@TheCommuneMag, a pro-Hindutva digital magazine, alleged that Prithviraj Sukumaran is a “self-anointed crusader for the leftist elite, wielding cinema as a weapon to smear Hindus, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

They further alleged that “through his works—Empuraan and Jana Gana Mana—he is waging an ideological/political warfare against Hindus who are vocal and support Prime Minister Modi.”

Another handle, @TheHinduPost, questioned the film’s certification, directly tagging the CBFC and the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting on X, alleging corruption by asking, “Hello @CBFC_India @MIB_India, which babu of yours took a bribe to close eyes and ears in true Gandhian style while certifying this movie?”

Hello @CBFC_India @MIB_India which babu of yours took bribe to close eyes and ears in true Gandhian style while certifying this movie?

One can’t show Khalistanis killing Hindu bus passengers in a film, but such naked anti-Hindu propaganda is allowed? https://t.co/kzklx37N7F

— HinduPost (@hindupost) March 28, 2025

A Facebook post by ‘Sanathana Dharma’ accused Prithviraj of deceiving Mohanlal and his fans.

Pratheesh Vishwanath, the founder of Hindu Seva Kendram and a key figure aligned with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), publicly accused the filmmakers of L2: Empuraan of having a hidden agenda, alleging that the film was deliberately crafted to push a specific political narrative.

Despite all this, many are praising L2: Empuraan for its boldness, applauding Prithviraj Sukumaran and Murali Gopi for not shying away from politically sensitive narratives.

Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, who praised the movie for its filmmaking and technical finesse, said that the hate campaign against Mohanlal, Prithviraj, and Murali Gopi over the film’s political themes is completely unacceptable.

“The same people who defended the ‘freedom of expression’ of films like The Kashmir Files and The Kerala Story—which were filled with blatant lies and communal hatred—are now leading the attack against Empuraan,” he highlighted.

“And to those who took offense at the word Bajrang, recognizing themselves in it—well, greetings to you! May this self-awareness lead to some much-needed introspection,” he said.

“No matter how much water flows through the Sabarmati River, no matter how many times you try to cleanse yourselves, the stains of your actions will never wash away,” Mamkootathil said, emphasizing that no matter how much they attempt to rewrite history or justify their actions during the Gujarat genocide of 2002, the truth cannot be erased.

The official Facebook page of Aam Aadmi Party Kerala wrote, “You only need to watch the film to understand the villain who stands with his back turned…” (referring to the mysterious villain hinted at in the poster).
“But congratulations to the Empuraan team for revealing the real villains of the nation to all of India.”

Similarly, Jana Gana Mana, a Prithviraj-starrer, faced right-wing criticism for its critique of nationalist politics, state institutions, and law enforcement.

This article is republished from MaktoobMedia. Read the original article.