One of the most anticipated upcoming releases in Indian cinema is “L2E: Empuraan,” starring Lalettan Mohanlal in the lead role and directed by star actor Prithviraj Sukumaran. This high-octane political action-thriller is a sequel to the 2019 blockbuster Lucifer and is the second part of the trilogy.
L2E: Empuraan will have a grand worldwide release on March 27, 2025, in Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and Tamil. Already, the advance bookings have opened, and the film has been setting new records through its ticket sales. Ace producer Dil Raju is distributing the film in the Telugu states through SVC. Ahead of the release, the makers held a pre-release press meet in Hyderabad today.
Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Dil Raju, DOP Sujith Vaassudev, actor Karthikeya Dev, and others attend the event.
Speaking to the media, Mohanlal said, “Good afternoon, everyone. I want to talk in Telugu, but I’m not fluent enough in the language. Thank you, Dil Raju garu, for accepting our film. As Prithvi said, the Telugu industry is the best industry in the country. The kind of respect you assure to cinema and artists is amazing. In my 47 years of career, I had the opportunity to work with great actors, including Nageshwara Rao sir. In Kerala, we watch films from all languages. Now, the habit should change. People should watch our films as well. Empuraan is a film very close to our hearts. When we did Lucifer, it was a different film not only for the Kerala audience but for everyone who loves films. Now, Empuraan is not just a sequel. We have already planned three films. When Empuraan becomes a hit, we will come with the third part as well. We all pray for the success of this film. I think we will come here again to celebrate either the 50th day or the 100th day of the movie.”
The film’s director-actor Prithviraj stated, “Thank you, Dil Raju garu, for readily accepting to bring this film to the people of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. It takes people like Dil Raju garu to understand that this film is not just another film from our industry but a project where the entire Malayalam film industry aspires to push our boundaries. We really hope this is the beginning of a lot of things for us. Usually, directors prefer people to see the original version of the film with subtitles. But for this film, I can confidently tell you to watch the Telugu version. We have really put in the effort to make the Telugu version as authentic as possible. The acceptance, anticipation, and excitement ever since the ticket bookings opened have actually caught all of us by surprise. We were confident that people were excited and ticket bookings would be good, but this is truly beyond all our imaginations. Thank you so much. I hope you all enjoy watching the film with your family and friends. A lot of love for Telugu cinema and the audience here.”
“All of us across the country, especially in Kerala, are envious of the audience who have so much love and excitement for cinema. When we talk about the film industries right now, the fact remains that Telugu cinema, which is essentially a regional industry, has now become India’s biggest industry, only because of the audiences here. I hope Empuraan is the beginning of such a journey for Malayalam cinema,” he added.
Dil Raju said, “Rajamouli showed us a way of taking our regional films to a national and international level with Baahubali. The trend was continued by Prashanth Neel with KGF and Sukumar with Pushpa. All of them raised the bar with two-part films. Now, it is Prithviraj garu’s turn to take Malayalam cinema to a national level. The first part was a blockbuster, and the second part is now coming up. We all think of the Malayalam film industry as a small industry. But around Rs. 35 crores were spent on Lucifer, which went on to become a blockbuster. Now, they have spent Rs. 150 crores on Empuraan. The teaser has a wow factor. The trailer, despite being 3 minutes and 45 seconds long, has many grand elements. Mohanlal sir’s screen presence is electrifying. Thank you, Mohanlal garu and Prithviraj garu, for this opportunity. I hope Empuraan becomes a huge blockbuster on a pan-India level.”
Cinematographer Sujith Vaassudev said, “I feel proud ahead of this film’s release. I am so glad that we are presenting a good film. Please enjoy the movie.”
Actor Karthikeya Dev said, “I thank Prithviraj sir for trusting me and giving me this role. My character Zayed is very special to me. The character hides a volcano of emotions inside him. When it erupts, it doesn’t stop. My character is subtle, and it came out really well. I feel blessed to be a part of this big project. Thank you, Mohanlal sir, for being so sweet.”
L2E: Empuraan is produced by Antony Perumbavoor and Gokulam Gopalan under their respective banners, Aashirvad Cinemas and Sree Gokulam Movies. Hombale Films, Sree Gokulam Movies, and Anil Thadani’s AA Films will distribute the film in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and North India, respectively.
