Union minister and BJP MP Suresh Gopi had a heated war of words in Rajya Sabha with CPM MP John Brittas amid allegations that political pressure influenced the censoring of the Malayalam film "L2 Empuraan".
The debate erupted during discussion on the Waqf Bill, with Brittas targeting BJP and asserting that Kerala would resist its influence.
In his speech, he also referred to L2 Empuraan, a Mohanlal-starrer that has faced significant political controversy over its content. The movie is being shown in theatres with multiple cuts.
The CPM MP alleged that political intervention led to multiple cuts in the film, particularly its depiction of the 2002 Gujarat riots.
“ ... There is a character in the film Munna. You can see that Munna here. You can see a Munna in BJP benches. Malayalis will figure it out. Kerala will figure it out. That is Kerala’s history. Kerala will keep your poison out," Brittas said.
Gopi, the actor-turned-politician, strongly denied these claims.
“There was an indirect reference to a Malayalam movie. He [Brittas] was talking about Empuraan… Does he dare to have a re-release of TP 51, Left Right Left… Does the Kerala CM have the guts to again permit those films to be screened.”
He was referring to movies that depicted political violence in Kerala and were critical of the erswhile CPM government.
The BJP leader also refuted allegations of any political pressure. “A matter of fact…which is the only truth, which I have to let Indian nationals know. There was no censor pressure on the producers of Empuraan.”
The BJP MP also spoke about the removal of his name from the film’s thank-you card, clarifying that it was done at his own request.
“I was the first person to call the producers and ask them to delete my name from the thank-you card at the beginning of the film. This is the truth. I am ready to take any punishment if this is found false. It was the decision of the producers, and the lead actor of the film, with the permission of the director of the film, to remove 17 portions from the film,” he said.
L2 Empuraan, directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, sparked controversy due to its fictionalized portrayal of the Gujarat riots.
The character Zayed Masood, played by Prithviraj, is shown as being affected by the events, a depiction that led to significant backlash.
Following objections, the filmmakers voluntarily approached the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to make alterations. A total of 24 cuts were made.
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