Despite a stellar opening, L2 Empuraan sees a dip in collections amid controversy over Gujarat riots scenes; ₹84.4 crore total so far.
New Delhi | April 2, 2025 —
Prithviraj Sukumaran’s ambitious sequel L2 Empuraan, starring Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, has witnessed a dip in its box office performance on Day 7, amid controversy surrounding its depiction of the 2002 Gujarat riots. According to early estimates from Sacnilk.com, the film earned ₹5.50 crore on Wednesday, taking its total domestic collection to an impressive ₹84.40 crore in 7 days.
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Released on March 27, L2 Empuraan stormed the box office with a record-breaking ₹21 crore opening—the highest ever for a Malayalam film. However, the film saw a steady decline in the days that followed:
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- Day 2: ₹11.5 crore
- Day 3: ₹13.25 crore
- Day 4: ₹13.65 crore
- Day 5: ₹11.15 crore
- Day 6: ₹8.55 crore
- Day 7: ₹5.50 crore (early estimate)
🔥 Controversy & Censorship
The drop in collections coincides with growing public backlash against scenes depicting the 2002 Gujarat riots, which critics claimed were “misleading” and “provocative.” The film was subsequently censored with 24 cuts, including removal of graphic violence, references to religious structures, and scenes of assault on women.
Mohanlal, who reprises his role as Stephen Nedumpally aka Khureshi Ab’raam, issued a heartfelt apology, saying:
“As an artiste, it is my duty to ensure that none of my films harbor hatred towards any political movement, ideology or sect. I regret the distress caused.”
🎬 About L2 Empuraan
Directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, L2 Empuraan is the highly anticipated second installment in the Lucifer franchise. The political action thriller sees Mohanlal’s character return from exile to challenge Chief Minister Jathin Ramdas, played by Tovino Thomas, with strategic help from Zayed (played by Prithviraj himself).
📊 Occupancy & Outlook
The film had a 31.35% Malayalam occupancy on Wednesday, showing signs of audience fatigue—possibly driven by controversy and ongoing edits.
While it still ranks among the top Malayalam earners of all time, the pace of L2 Empuraan’s collections may further be impacted unless positive word-of-mouth and overseas box office offset the domestic drop.
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