"Criticism Shouldn’t Turn Into Abuse": FEFKA Supports Prithviraj And Mohanlal's 'Empuraan'
Superstar Mohanlal and Prithviraj Sukumaran‘s action thriller sequel L2: Empuraan has got itself into a spin of controversies for its depiction of the 2002 Gujarat riots. Following massive backlashes, Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) condemned personal attacks targeted towards the director and the lead actor.
While extreme right-wing groups allegedly targeted the film for its content, cyberattacks targeted towards the makers has been raising concerns. Condemning the online backlash, FEFKA issued a statement on Monday evening calling the attacks “unfortunate and deserving of protest.”
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The organization, while welcoming constructive criticism, also emphasised that personal attacks will not be tolerated. The film federation of Kerala wrote, “We welcome constructive criticism of the film’s form and content without compromise. A work of art can evolve only through creative critique. However, criticism should not turn into personal attacks, threats or labeling.”
The film federation also emphasized the importance of open discourse and stated, “The goal of any meaningful discussion should not be to silence those on the other side but to allow them to speak.”
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Reaffirming its solidarity with the Empuraan team, the federation quoted Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea to highlight the resilience of the artists: “A man can be destroyed but not be defeated.”
The state government also extended its support towards the film. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called the communal hate campaign “a hallmark of authoritarianism” and a threat to democracy. He stated, “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.”
Following the backlash, the makers bowed down and promised to include 17 cuts to remove scenes related to the riot, and the mention of the character Baba Bajrangi, inspired from the real-life convicted criminal Babu Bajrangi.
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“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,” the Chief Minister added.
L2: Empuraan has been receiving good receptions from fans and critics and has been witnessing a great hike at its box office front. Within merely four days of its release, the film has already crossed the Rs 200 crore mark worldwide and has earned Rs 70 crore domestically.
