L2 Empuraan Review: Mohanlal – Prithviraj Political Thriller Packs Daring And Style

L2: Empuraan was touted as the biggest and most pathbreaking Malayalam movie ever made. The foremost question on everyone’s mind as Empuraan (sequel to Mohanlal’s 2019 film Lucifer) hit the theatres with much fanfare and anticipation is whether director Prithviraj Sukumaran and lead actor Mohanlal have delivered on their promise.

They certainly tried their best. Foreign locations and actors, high-octane action sequences, power-packed dialogues, exceptional cinematography, and an almost flawless background score are the film’s major highlights. If these elements—excluding the lag, the tedious buildup to reintroduce the hero, and the rushed conclusion—are considered markers of excellence, L2: Empuraan stands as one of Malayalam’s grandest productions, though not its finest film.

(Spoiler Alert)

Writer Murali Gopy begins L2: Empuraan with a ‘controversial’ choice, unexpected from a Mohanlal-led mainstream film. He uses a 2002 riot to present the flashback of Zayed Masood, the mercenary played by Prithviraj. The introductory scenes don’t shy away from depicting the socio-political affiliations of the perpetrators of the Gujarat riots, making it clear who the real victims were.

Read also: Revealed: The Mystery Character Of L2: Empuraan (Spoiler Alert)

Murali doesn’t stop there. As the story shifts to Kerala, the real villains of 2002 arrive after striking a deal with Chief Minister Jatin (whom Stephen handed power to in Lucifer), having first trapped him using central agencies. Until the film’s end, Balraj and his right-hand man Munna remain in play, reinforcing the message about the need to purge communal forces from God’s Own Country.

Like any commercial film, justice is ultimately served in the climax of L2: Empuraan. Though Murali and Prithviraj attempt something Bollywood and other industries might hesitate to, especially the current political climate is fully hostile to creative freedom, the critical question remains: Can vigilante or hitman justice truly counter the most dangerous forces in the country today? Many might share Murali’s vision, but in the end, it remains cinematic—and, of course, impossible. The fight against the communal forces can’t be done by vigilantes. The idea is so rooted that a movie about an old emperor can create riots in this country.

Read also: Javed Akhtar’s Powerful Take On Mammootty-Mohanlal Puja Controversy

Why L2: Empuraan lags a lot in the first half and also in the first third quarter is because the movie was trying to develop many plots to present how big is the empire of Khureshi Abram and also how ruthless his enemies in this edition is going to be. These plots demand many spinoffs and Prithviraj the director was seen struggling to juggle between the story lines. By the time he is ready with all the detailing, the hero meets the villain and you will see the end credits.

In each ten minutes, you will see at least one plot is developing or you will feel that some are yet to develop. The build-up is huge, in fact, it is massive than what Gopakumar does in Pulimurugan. There is one instance Abram takes Govardhan (the narrator of Lucifer and journalist-investigator) to a place outside India to tell him that he is going to use him to settle some scores back in India.

Empuraan, I understand that, would not be known for Mohanlal’s acting performance. The most talented Indian actor of his generation makes his presence visible with dialogue delivery and movements, but not for acting in Empuraan.

Compared to Lucifer, which was fresh and enterprising, Empuraan has its flaws. One major flaw is that the new characters remain unfinished in their arcs while old ones fail to find the rhythm. Except for Manju Warrier, all the female characters are limited to some small scenes and disappear quick. As Manju’s Priyadarshini takes centre stage in Kerala’s politics, she has been given a little bit of room to perform.

Timeline Verdict:

Prithviraj understands his protagonist really well. He knows that the slow-motion shots and careful delivery of dialogues mixed with superb background score will bring the Mohanlal fans back to the theatres. L2E is first and foremost a movie for Mohanlal fans. The revenge part of the movie remains intriguing.

Read also: L2: Empuraan – Supriya Menon’s Huge Shoutout To Husband Prithviraj Ahead Of Release

L2: Empuraan Crew

Direction: Prithviraj Sukumaran

Writer: Murali Gopy

Cinematographer: Sujith Vaassudev

Editor: Akhilesh Mohan

Music: Deepak Dev

Read also: Mammootty Pens Special Message For Mohanlal Ahead Of L2: Empuraan Release

Cast: Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Abhimanyu Singh, Tovino Thomas, Manju Warrier, Andrea Tivadar, Jerome Flynn, Indrajith Sukumaran, Karthikeya Dev, Kishore, Sukant Goel, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Eriq Ebouaney, Nikhat Khan, Fazil, Sachin Khedekar, Saikumar, Baiju Santhosh, Nandhu, Saniya Iyappan, Satyajit Sharma, Oziel Jivani, Alexx O’Nell, Mikhail Novikov, Murugan Martin, Shivaji Guruvayoor, Manikuttan, Nyla Usha, Giju John, Aneesh G Menon, Sshivada