Suresh Gopi Denies Involvement in L2 Empuraan, Claims Lack of Knowledge on Film's Content

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Actor and BJP MP Suresh Gopi has spoken out about the controversy surrounding L2 Empuraan, a movie that was recently embroiled in a row over its depiction of the 2002 Gujarat riots. In an interview, Gopi claimed he was unaware of the film's content when he helped secure permissions for the movie, including the crucial CRPF Pallippuram camp shoot. He revealed he even reached out to Union Minister Amit Shah to facilitate this process. Gopi also stated that he personally asked the film's producer, Gokulam Gopalan, to remove his name from the credits after the controversy broke out. He explained that his involvement in the film led to his name being mistakenly added to the thank-you card, but after learning about the movie's content, he felt it was best to distance himself from it. The controversy surrounding L2 Empuraan, directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran and starring Mohanlal, began after the film's release in March. The movie faced criticism for its depiction of the 2002 Gujarat riots, leading to 17 voluntary cuts being made to the film. The issue was further complicated when MP John Brittas alleged that 'political pressure' was exerted on the film. However, Gopi strongly refuted this claim, stating that there was no censorship pressure on the film's producers. He attributed the decision to remove 17 portions from the film to the producers and the lead actor, with the director's permission. L2 Empuraan is a sequel to the 2019 hit film Lucifer and is the second-highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time, with a worldwide box office collection of ₹265.5 crore.