Kerala BJP says not against any movie as Empuraan’s 2002 reference triggers debate

Some Hindutva organizations have expressed concerns about the Malayalam film Empuraan, which was released globally on Thursday.

The film, starring Malayalam superstar Mohanlal and directed by actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran, sparked debate soon after its release.

Social media discussions were heated, especially regarding a reference to the 2002 Gujarat riots. Many, including Left-wing and Congress-affiliated accounts, praised the film for allegedly exposing the "Sangh Parivar agenda."

However, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar has In contrast, Hindutva groups criticized the film, accusing it of attacking the ideology and attempting to appease "anti-national elements." Some even called for a boycott of the film.

However, according to Indian Express, BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar posted a message on Facebook offering his best wishes to the Empuraan team, “Best wishes, Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran and team! Look forward to watching and enjoying #L2E #Empuraan one of these days!”

On Friday, following a core committee meeting, BJP state secretary P. Sudheer clarified that the party would not launch any campaign against Empuraan, stating that cinema should be treated as entertainment and individuals are free to express their views as audience members. He emphasized that the party does not oppose any film.

Meanwhile, leaders from some Hindutva groups openly criticized the movie. R.V. Babu, president of Kerala Hindu Aikya Vedi, an umbrella organization for Hindutva groups in the state, argued that the film was unfair to the victims of the 2002 Godhra train burning, in which Hindu pilgrims were killed. He pointed out that the film failed to recognize that the riots would not have occurred had the Godhra incident not happened.

Additionally, he criticized the film for overlooking the growing influence of terrorist organizations like the Popular Front of India in Kerala, accusing it of unfairly targeting a Hindutva-affiliated organization.

J. Nandakumar, the national convener of RSS-affiliated Prajna Pravah, also criticized Empuraan, claiming that it serves anti-Hindutva interests. Nandakumar shared news about the Godhra train burning incident on his Facebook page. Meanwhile, the Congress in Kerala praised the film as "world class," claiming it revealed the "Sangh agenda."

Indian Express reported that the Kerala Congress unit's official X (formerly Twitter) handle posted, “People who never stepped foot on Kerala’s soil were saying that a C-grade propaganda movie they released tax-free was the real ‘Kerala story’. Now, a world-class Malayalam movie exposed the Sangh agenda and the division they plan in Kerala to capture control of our vast coastline and two major ports, they started crying. Meanwhile, team @INCKerala is enjoying this meltdown.”

Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkoottathil condemned the "hate campaign" against Mohanlal, Prithviraj, and scriptwriter Murali Gopi, calling it unacceptable. He pointed out that those who had supported films like Kerala Story and Kashmir Files on the grounds of freedom of expression were now opposing Empuraan.

Actor Bineesh Kodiyeri, the son of late CPI(M) leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, praised the film in a Facebook post, saying that it took courage for a big-budget film to openly suggest that the Sangh Parivar was ruling the country after carrying out the Gujarat riots and that the Home Ministry was in charge of affairs. He congratulated the filmmakers for their bold stance.