Kochi/Thiruvananthapuram: Malayalam superstar Mohanlal expressed regret Sunday over distress caused by political & social themes in his movie L2 Empuraan, sequel to Lucifer. His statement follows backlash over the film’s alleged portrayal of the 2002 Gujarat riots, leading Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to mandate 17 changes.

“As an artist, it is my duty to ensure that none of my films harbours animosity towards any political movement, ideology, or religious group,” Mohanlal wrote in a Facebook post. “I have come to understand that certain themes introduced in Empuraan have caused distress among many who care for me… We have collectively decided to remove such themes from the movie.”

However, CM Pinarayi Vijayan of CPM and opposition leader VD Satheesan of Congress defended Empuraan, condemning alleged efforts by Sangh Parivar to pressure changes to the film.

Vijayan, who watched the film Sunday, posted on social media: “I watched it amidst widespread hate campaigns unleashed by the Sangh Parivar and communal forces against the film, its actors, and its crew.”

The film, which released worldwide on March 27 and grossed over Rs 100 crore at the box office, has drawn sharp criticism from BJP and RSS members in Kerala. RSS-affiliated publication Organiser claiming some scenes were “purposefully designed to reinforce the image of Hindus as the primary aggressors during the 2002 riots”.

BJP’s Kerala unit president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said he would no longer watch the movie. “I had said I would watch Empuraan when I heard it was a sequel to Lucifer. But now I have come to know that the makers of the movie themselves have made 17 amendments and that the movie is undergoing re-censorship. I understand there were topics in the movie that disturbed Mohanlal fans and other viewers,” he wrote on Facebook.

“A movie should be watched as a movie. It can’t be seen as history. Also, any movie that tries to build a story by distorting the truth is doomed to fail. So, will I watch this sequel to Lucifer? No. Am I disappointed by this type of moviemaking? Yes.”

The CM accused Sangh linked groups of attempting to suppress the film for depicting historical realities. “The film references one of the most brutal genocides the country has seen... functionaries of BJP and RSS are issuing open threats. It is not a tribute to democracy when communalists can destroy a work of art and viciously attack artistes for taking a stand against communalism and depicting its horrors.”

Congress’s Satheesan accused RSS of attempting to distort history. “They believe that freedom of expression means the freedom to create narratives that favour them,” he said. “It is a sign of utter failure and cowardice. No matter how much one tries to cover it up, historical truths will always stand clear.”