The re-edited version of L2: Empuraan has undergone 24 significant cuts, removing approximately 2 minutes and 8 seconds of content to address political and social backlash.
The changes include modifications to character names, visuals, and dialogues to avoid further controversies. The re-edited version is expected to hit theatres as early as tomorrow morning.
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One of the most notable alterations is the renaming of the film’s antagonist from Bajrangi to Baldev due to allegations that the original name referenced a controversial political figure.
Additionally, mentions of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have been muted, and scenes depicting harassment of women, riots, and dead bodies have been completely removed.
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Multiple violent sequences involving women were also cut, including those at 22:26-22:28 minutes, 22:34-22:37 minutes, and 23:57-24:47 minutes.
Several religious references have been removed, including a symbol shown during riot sequences and visuals of vehicles passing in front of religious structures at 15:57-16:01 minutes and 152:48-152:52 minutes.
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Other edits include the removal of a TV news segment, replacement of a missing person’s name in newspapers, and deletion of conversations between key characters like Masood and Zayed Masood (18:52-19:03 minutes).
The film’s riot and violence sequences have been heavily trimmed, with certain dialogues between the villain and his supporter removed. Scenes involving Prithviraj’s character’s interactions with his father have also been cut.
Additionally, the thanks card credit for actor Suresh Gopi has been removed at 1:41-1:44 minutes, following his request after the controversy.
It remains to be seen whether these cuts will impact L2: Empuraan’s box office run. The film has already crossed 200 crores gross worldwide, with expectations of touching 300 crores. However, mixed word-of-mouth could prevent it from reaching that milestone.
