Mohanlal-starrer 'Empuraan' a medium to spread anti-Hindu, anti-BJP narrative: RSS-linked magazine

New Delhi: Mohanlal-starrer L2: Empuraan is not just another film but a medium of spreading an anti-Hindu and anti-BJP narrative that threatens to further divide "an already fractured" India, according to an article published in an RSS-linked magazine.

The film delved into the "sensitive subject" of the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat with a "clear and alarming bias", it alleged.

Released on March 27, L2: Empuraan is a sequel to the 2019 hit Lucifer. The film has become a topic of hot debate over its critique of rightwing politics and the covert mention of the Gujarat riots.

Scriptwriter Murali Gopy, however, has dismissed the controversy, saying everyone had the right to interpret the film in their own way.

"I will keep total silence on the controversy. Let them fight it out. Everyone has the right to interpret the film in their (own) way," Gopy earlier told PTI.

According to the article published on the website of the Organiser weekly on March 28, the film -- rather than focusing on "historic true events" -- used the backdrop of the 2002 post-Godhra riots to push a "divisive, anti-Hindu" narrative that poses a "serious threat" to societal harmony.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) clarified on several occasions that the Organiser magazine was not its mouthpiece.

According to the article authored by Viswarajan, "Empuraan is not just another movie -- it's a medium for spreading an anti-Hindu, anti-BJP narrative that threatens to further divide an already fractured India." It also flayed Mohanlal for choosing such a "propaganda story" and said his decision to star in a film promoting such a "divisive and politically charged narrative" was a "betrayal" of his loyal fanbase.

"For the fans who have admired him for his acting skills and commitment in portraying characters that represent unity, seeing him endorse a project that targets one community so explicitly is heartbreaking," it said.

The article claimed that director Prithviraj Sukumaran had long been known for his political leaning but those leanings were presented with "little subtlety" in Empuraan.

Sukumaran's "political agenda" is evident in every frame, it said.

"The film's narrative not only vilifies Hindus but also specifically targets pro-Hindu political ideologies," it alleged.

It is crucial that such content be critically examined and its potential to stoke communal tensions and divisiveness must not be overlooked, according to the article.

"Prithviraj Sukumaran, as the director, must be called out for using his platform to further his own political agenda, regardless of the artistic cost. In an already polarised environment, films with strong political overtones like Empuraan can exacerbate existing rifts and contribute to the fragmentation of the society," it charged.

The Organiser article also took on scriptwriter Gopy, alleging that he had committed a crime against social harmony of the country by penning "untrue events from his wonderland thoughts".

"Even the critics argue that the film deliberately distorts historical facts while ignoring the tragic murder of 59 innocent passengers -- mostly Hindu pilgrims -- who were burned alive when a compartment of the Sabarmati Express was set on fire by rioters in 2002," it said.

"We must not forget that the culprits of the 2002 Godhra train tragedy have been found guilty by the court and punished, while the political agenda of the Congress to use the riots as a tool has been rejected many times by the people of India," according to the article.