Director Prithviraj Sukumaran has become the centre of controversy after the release of his film L2 Empuraan.

While the film undergoes 17 new cuts to remove ‘offensive’ scenes about the 2002 Gujarat riots, Prithviraj’s mother has come to his defence, claiming some people want to make him a “scapegoat”.

On Sunday, Malayalam actor Mallika Sukumaran took to Facebook to share her disappointment over the criticism her son has been facing. She also addressed the claims that Prithviraj had “misled” the film’s lead, actor Mohanlal and its producers.

“This is a mother’s pain. There is no point in someone making fun of me for speaking openly about it. Neither Mohanlal nor the producers have said that Prithviraj cheated them. I don’t think they will ever say that,” she wrote.

“Mohanlal is like my younger brother. I have known Lal since childhood. But it is very sad that some people are trying to make my son a scapegoat without the knowledge of Lal or the producers,” she added.

Mallika also clarified that neither the tone nor the narrative were withheld from the team: “If you feel that there is any problem with the film, then [the entire team] is responsible for it. They all read the script together. They all saw the scenes being shot and everyone agreed... how can Prithviraj be solely responsible?”

The 70-year-old also noted that despite reports that they were “blindsided” by the final version, Mohanlal and the producers were “aware of every shot” of the film. “I want to make it clear that there is nothing in this film that Mohanlal does not know. Neither (him or the producers) would say that they were unaware of anything,” she ended.

Acknowledging the row in a Facebook post on Sunday, Mohanlal wrote in Malayalam, “I have come to know that some of the political and social themes in the film Empuraan, have caused great distress to my loved ones. As an artiste, it is my duty to ensure that none of my films harbours hatred towards any political movement, ideology or sect.”

He added, “The team and I are deeply sorry... and with the realization that the responsibility lies with all of us behind the film, we have decided together to remove such subjects (sic).”

The film’s depiction of the 2002 Gujarat riots, as well as the trajectory of the antagonist Baba Bajrangi (Abhimanyu Singh) from rioter to politician have sparked outrage. Right-wing groups have since slammed the film for ‘distorting facts’, while the Congress party has praised it. Soon after, the production team announced that the film would undergo revisions. As per reports, 17 scenes, including those featuring riots and violence against women will be edited out.