The raging controversy over L2:Empuran refuses to die down with the right wing groups continuing their tirade against the big budget Mohanlal-starrer Malayalam film.
The film has become a topic of hot debate over its critique of right-wing politics and the covert mention of the Gujarat riots.
Though the Bharatiya Janata Party has not given any open call for a boycott of the film, the RSS mouthpiece, the Organiser, has been publishing a series of articles on its website deriding the film directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran.
In the latest article published on Tuesday, author Abhijith Radhakrishnan Nair lashed out at the movie for its “troubling portrayal of terrorism” and its “biased narrative” that risks inflaming communal tensions.
The article which lauds films like Kashmir Files and Kerala Story for their “bold and unapologetic narrative”, accused Empuraan of crossing the dangerous line of glorifying terrorism.
“The portrayal (of the character Zayed Masood) is problematic not only because it appears to justify terrorism as a form of revenge, but it dangerously suggests that such acts are a legitimate response to communal violence,” it said.
The article further accused the filmmakers of blurring the line between cinematic fiction and ideological propaganda.
“Rather than condemning acts of terrorism or the ideologies that fuel them, the movie seems to rationalise them as retaliation against an allegedly oppressive state,” it said, adding that the narrative has selectively painted Hindus as perpetrators and Muslims as victims.
In another article on Tuesday, the Organiser targetted Empuraan director Prithviraj, accusing him of taking “double standards” in his own films.
It said despite Mohanlal, the lead actor, issuing an apology, the silence of Prithviraj is disappointing.
“Prithviraj’s reluctance to address the controversy directly reveals a troubling pattern of evading responsibility when it matters most,” said the article.
As the controversy raged, Antony Perumbavoor, one of the producers of the movie, said on Tuesday that a little over two minutes of scenes have been deleted from the movie. He, however, added that the decision to carry out the edit was a joint one of all the producers and actors, including Mohanlal and Prithviraj, and it was not out of fear of anyone.