- Date of Release: 27 March 2025
- Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
- Language: Malayalam
- Watch On: Theatres Only
L2: Empuraan
Introduction
One of the reasons why Lucifer (2019) had worked in a very big manner was because it was a political thriller at its core. Yes, the film by and large was a mass masala vehicle aimed at tapping into the charisma of its mega-superstar, but the cohesive glue in the film was always a grounded political tale that focused on the shifting dynamics between the characters. And that was that one aspect from the original that was to be put on an acid test because the look and feel of the successor L2: Empuran was rich and stylized. It was imperative for the core of the drama to be retained, which would still position a political thriller in a mass masala vehicle. Thankfully, this is exactly what you get with this film. And the politics this time around is almost a commentary on the communal politics that is ruling the roosts today, that automatically makes Empuraan a brave attempt. So even as the story begins as a part of the flashback, the setting of 2002 definitely rings a bell for one of the worst genocides that the country may have witnessed. And that automatically entices you, and allows you to invest in the characters (that remains an origin story for an important character in the narrative). The opening sequence is brutal and infuriating while being razor sharp about the divisive nature of the people based on religion today, that had a small sample size to highlight in 2002.
Story & Screenplay
One of the strongest aspects of the writing by Murali Gopi in Empuraan remains the characterization (of a few characters). It does help that the film is a direct sequel to Lucifer which basically means that you are mostly familiar with the character arcs on offer. This definitely does help to create a picture as to where some of the characters are today. So when you are reintroduced to the characters of Jathin (Tovino Thomas) and Priyadarshini (Manju Warrier), you do realise that the duo do not quite share a warm sibling bond like they once did. The character traits are expanded too – Priyadarshini remains the subdued and the principled one, while Jathin is the one more ambitious even at the cost of his principles. In fact, there is a drastic shift in the appearance of Jathin too – a spectacled sincere individual is showcased to be donning glares, almost symbolic of being ‘blinded’ by power and the needs of the people. It is here that the politics of the state of Kerala is briefly discussed – on what securalism means to the state, something that is valued and passed from one generation to another. And therefore, a plot linkage from the brutal cold open to the state of affairs in the state in the current timeline, essentially forms the fabric of the story. The underlying commentary remains – how ‘outsiders’ intrude the peace of the people in God’s Own Country, even as criminals are given a free-hand once they join politics (something that is eerily true today). And this commentary is attributed to the shifting character dynamics that are laid out early on in the film.
It is here that the characterization of Khureshi Abr’aam aka Stephen aka Lucifer (Mohanlal) becomes all the more important. It was already established in Lucifer (2019) on how the character is already a powerful entity, while being much more than a legislative assembly member. He has a cartel business of his own that makes him a modern version of Robinhood. Hence, the symbolism of the identity of Abr’aam aka Lucifer becomes all the more interesting – he has a God’s name integrated in his name while having the identity of the devil. In other words, he remains a devil for a few characters by halting a drug deal by eliminating his enemies from a cartel, while being the protector of the land (the angel on his ring is a sign of a protector). And it is the latter trait of his that forces him to re-enter the political setup of the state that he had once left, even as vultures loom around him.
The brief issue that I had with the writing was its predictability, given how broadly stroked the drama was. The drama if viewed from a writing gaze, is straight up binary – with the segregation being on which characters are good, and which characters are bad. But if I were to view the drama only from a mass masala entertainer gaze, then the drama scores with its style with regards to the presentation of the protagonist (whose first glimpse you get after the 61st minute), who by the way has atleast 3 or 4 slow-motion entry sequences (a tad too many may I add). Another positive for me remained the politics in the drama, that is definitely borrowed from the current ecosystem of the country. In fact, a small symbolism is in the form of the two flags of the different political parties in the drama – one comprises of the tricolour, giving equal importance to every colour, and the other, coated in a single coat of nationalism. So, there is a clear distinction in terms of the messaging in store. And while the drama does break the grammer in terms of two contrasting tonalities – one with respect to the cat and mouse chase between the interpol, cartels and Lucifer that drops a little with its intensity, and the other with respect to the relevant political commentary, there was a genuine attempt at providing a cohesive drama by bridging the two tones through a sense of nostalgia that transpires in the form of frequent flashbacks.
There was a stroke of convenience lacing the second hour wherein every conflict was met with a quick(er) resolution. In a scene, you see Priyadarshini trying to escape from a bunch of goons, only for the protagonist to randomly appear in that very instance and save the day (the same scenario also plays in another scene with another character as a part of a half-baked flashback). In another scene, you see Priyadarshini being arrested for ‘crimes’ that she had ‘anticipated’ (lol, Kunal Kamra) but in the next two reels, you witness a resolution for the same. But oddly (in a good way), the tempo of the drama is high that doesn’t allow you to quite focus on these gaps. That said, I would have liked a little more politics in play with respect to the shifting character dynamics as opposed to a central revenge drama at an individual level (something that even Lucifer (2019) was guilty of). For instance, the plot-point around the construction of a dam could have been fleshed out a little more, as opposed to a straight up two on one fight at the end that was rather simplistic and convenient to witness. Having said that, the screenplay does get its politics right and if viewed through a mass masala entertainer gaze, the proceedings work really well. And the setup for the third and concluding part seems promising already!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues comprise of an amalgamation of different languages that adds authenticity to the drama with respect to the locations that it traverses. By and large, the dialogues are punchy while tapping into the underlying layer of politics and its subsequent messaging efficiently. The music is pulsating and definitely contributes to the style-quotient in the drama. The BGM is excellent as well, particularly while playing out against the backdrop of the multiple slow-mos featuring the protagonist. Also from a technical stand-point, the BGM accompanying the final fight sequence did elevate the drama to being watchable (given how convenient the writing was in that phase). The cinematography is exquisite with the frames adding a lot of style and depth to the proceedings. The grand scale at which the film is shot, is reflective onscreen through its multiple locations and CGI-induced frames that elevate the viewing experience wonderfully well. Even the frames capturing the action set-pieces were wonderfully shot, that took into account the faltering agility of the protagonist by literally making the camera move with every ‘punch’.
The editing is particularly impressive with the transitions because it didn’t allow the drama to be reduced to an extended reel. There was a sense of cohesion that was achieved through its editing, a classic example that you in a scene involving a cross submerged in the ground before cutting away to a cross hanging on the mirror of a car in the subsequent scene. The transitons were neat and tidy! Director Prithviraj Sukumaran manages to do an impressive job with the scale that he brings to the film. There is a concoction of style mixed with a purpose in that cold open sequence at the start, before indulging in a wonderful sense of world building that formulates the emotional core of the drama that later transitions into the reintroduction of his characters. What I was particularly impressed with, was his ability to pay attention to transitions between scenes that never allowed the drama to be heavily lob-sided and reel-induced. And his presentation of the protagonist remained one of the highlights of the film. The little complaint though was in opting for a more binary approach towards the script that added to the predictability of the drama. But that minor criticism aside, the direction was impressive and note-worthy.
Performances
The performances are wonderful although not all characters are fleshed out well. Sshivada as Sreelekha, Saniya Iyappan as Jhanvi and Nyla Usha as Arundathi have their moments to shine. Alexx O’Nell as Robert McCarthy is first rate and manages to impress despite a limited screen time. Satyajit Sharma as Masood and Nikhat Khan as Subhadra adds a wonderful emotional core to his character while being a superb case of anti-casting (they each play a character opposite to their faiths in real life). Nayan Bhatt as Suraiya Bibi and Aishwarya Ojha as Haniya account for an underlying layer of pain and fear wonderfully through their characters. Baiju Santhosh as Murukan is sincere and earnest with his act. It was a pleasure to witness Fazil as Father Nedumpally in a heartfelt character.
Suraj Venjaramoodu as Sajanachandran adds to the few comic moments in the scrernplay in a character that is woefully underwritten. Indrajith Sukumaran as Govardhan is first rate also in a character that is a touch underwritten. Jerome Flynn (Bron in Game Of Thrones) as Boris and Andrea Tivadar as Michele are nice little additions to the cast, and both manage to leave an impression (and one of them may have a bigger impact in its third part).
Sukant Goel as Munna is intimidating by his presence and using his expressions to instill fear in the minds of the viewers while being infuriating with his actions. And this speaks volumes of what an incredible talent Sukant is, while being successful in riling up emotions. Abhimanyu Singh as Balraj has an equally intimidating personality and he does a good job too, despite the one-tone of his character (of having to be angry always). His variations in the degree of anger adds to the personality of his character. Prithviraj Sukumaran as Zayed impresses in an extended cameo while scoring wonderfully in the combat sequences. But because his back-story was the emotional core of the drama, I wished he had a slightly longer screen-time.
Manju Warrier as Priyadarshini remains grounded and understated with her performance that makes for an impactful watch. Tovino Thomas as Jathin is an absolute treat to witness simply because he uses his body languages efficiently to restrain his grey shades that you witness for the first time. We all remember his immaculate speech in Lucifer (2019) which was presented with such sincerity and earnestness. His approach remains the same with the introduction of a hint of guile that sets the tone of his character. Mohanlal as Khureshi Abr’aam aka Stephen aka Lucifer is phenomenal as always here. There is a certain swagger that he caters to with his slow-mo antics, while also excelling in combat sequences. This may not have been as much of a performance oriented role like in Lucifer, but his screen-presence definitely commands your attention thereby making for a spectacular performance.
Conclusion
Despite being predictable and having a convenient final act, Empuraan is a supremely relevant political thriller veiled as a stylized mass masala entertainer, and boasting of good performances that makes for a pretty solid watch. Available in a theatre near you.
