‘Empuraan’ faces fresh controversy in Tamil Nadu over dam reference

After weathering backlash over its portrayal of the 2002 Gujarat riots, L2: Empuraan has now found itself at the center of another controversy—this time from Tamil Nadu. The Mohanlal-Prithviraj Sukumaran film, which recently became Malayalam cinema’s highest-grossing movie, has drawn criticism from Tamil Nadu politicians over its depiction of a dam in Nedumpally, a fictional location in the film.


Fresh allegations

According to Indian Express, MDMK general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Vaiko has alleged that Empuraan alludes to the real-life Mullaperiyar Dam, a long-standing point of contention between Kerala and Tamil Nadu.


What’s the new issue?

In the film, a dialogue references how the Travancore King was forced to lease the land to the British for 999 years, a statement that Vaiko claims could incite tensions between the two states. He has demanded that the controversial scenes be removed or the film be banned in Tamil Nadu.

Adding to the pressure, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who represents Theni district—a region that depends on the Mullaperiyar Dam for water—has echoed similar concerns. He stated that farmers from his constituency approached him regarding what they believe to be a ‘misrepresentation of facts’ in Empuraan. He warned that fear-mongering on sensitive issues could strain the relationship between Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

This fresh controversy comes at a time when 'Empuraan' is celebrating record-breaking box office success and decent reviews from the audiences. We gave the film a rating of 3.5 stars out of 5 and our review read, “The work that Prithviraj and Murali Gopi have put into developing the story is visible and impressive in the first half. But we miss the nous, that some of our Malayalam political thrillers of the 80s and 90s had. Also, a mass entertainer needs massy dialogues; this is a big miss in the movie. Deepak Dev’s music perfectly matches the brilliantly visualised scenes; we get involved Khureshi’s quests and get a feel for the mood, thanks to this. Sujith Vasudev’s camerawork balances the fast and mellow scenes superbly throughout.”