THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Five days after the release of the much-anticipated film Empuraan and the controversy that followed, co-producer Antony Perumbavoor on Tuesday clarified that the decision to re-edit the film was a collective one.
The film has undergone a two-minute re-edit and is expected to be updated across all screening platforms.
"We don’t make a film on a wrong. The film has been widely accepted, and there is no need for any controversy, " said Perumbavoor.
He reiterated that the re-edit was not the result of any external pressure but rather a proactive decision to address concerns raised by some viewers.
"After we felt that certain sections of the society were unhappy, we decided to take a re-look and arrived at this decision collectively, " he added.
Dismissing speculations of blame directed at director Prithviraj Sukumaran -- who also plays a key role in the film -- Perumbavoor asserted that everyone, including superstar Mohanlal, was fully aware of the creative decisions.
"There is no reason to single out Prithviraj, " he clarified.
The controversy erupted after Empuraan was criticised by Organiser, an RSS-affiliated publication, which initially targeted Mohanlal and later Prithviraj. In response to the backlash, the filmmakers opted for last-minute cuts.
With Perumbavoor confirming the re-edit, there is speculation that audiences might rush back to theatres to see what has been changed. The revised version is being processed by Qube Cinema, which will distribute the updated digital print to all theatres and screening centres.
Meanwhile, the silence of Empuraan’s scriptwriter Murali Gopy has drawn attention, with sources suggesting he is deeply affected by the controversy. However, Perumbavoor downplayed concerns, saying there was nothing unusual about his silence.
Interestingly, Perumbavoor’s journey in the Malayalam film industry began as Mohanlal’s driver. After earning the superstar’s trust, he secured a date for his first production, Narasimham (1999), which went on to become the highest-grossing Malayalam film at the time. Today, his production house, Aashirvad Cinemas, is the biggest in the Malayalam film industry.