The highly anticipated Malayalam political action thriller L2: Empuraan, directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran and headlined by Mohanlal, hit theatres on March 27, 2025. As the sequel to the 2019 blockbuster Lucifer, the expectations were sky-high — and the film delivered a thunderous opening at the box office.
However, the momentum didn’t last beyond the first week. While the movie became the highest-grossing Malayalam film of 2025 and the first in the industry to cross 250 crores worldwide, the mixed reviews and weak word-of-mouth dented its long-term prospects. The dream of Empuraan becoming Mollywood’s first 300-crore grosser eventually faded.
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The film also sparked controversy for its depiction of the 2002 Gujarat riots, with critics accusing it of portraying Hindus in a negative light.
Following the backlash, several scenes were muted or edited post-release, which has now led to curiosity about its digital version — will it feature the original cut or the post-release censored one?
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Surprisingly, fans won’t have to wait long to find out. L2: Empuraan is set to premiere on Jio Hotstar from April 24, just under four weeks after its theatrical debut. This quick OTT turnaround is much earlier than expected for a big-budget release like this.
While fans are excited about revisiting the film, industry insiders suggest that the streaming version will most likely stick to the post-censorship cut to avoid reigniting controversies.
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Still, the OTT release could give the film a second lease of life and reach a wider national audience.
With debate, drama, and anticipation in full swing, all eyes are now on how Empuraan fares in the digital space.
