L2: Empuraan

<p>In 2002, break out in between and , forcing a young Zayed Masood and his family to flee. They seek refuge with Subhadra Ben, a kind lady and the head of a large royal family, who entrusts their safety with her nephew, Munna. However, Munna, harbouring a deep hatred towards Muslims, informs his elder brother, Balraj Patel, who is a Hindu extremist leader. Balraj leads a mob that massacres Zayed’s family, including his father Masood, and mother Bahija Begum. Subhadra Ben is also killed by Balraj for “betraying” her community. Devastated, Zayed, takes his younger brother Zaheer, and flees, only to later discover him dead. In the present, six years into his tenure as the , Jathin Ramdas finds himself under investigation by several intelligence agencies for corruption and involvement in money-laundering scams. Priyadarshini, Jathin’s sister, is worried about his change as a politician and a son in a short span and gets into an argument where Jathin himself reveals a truth to the state. The future of his political party, Indian Union Front (IUF) is in turmoil, as a new right wing opposition party, Akhanda Shakthi Morcha (ASM), gains prominence in Kerala. Unexpectedly, Jathin announces his resignation from the IUF to form a new faction, IUF (PKR), which is allied with the ASM, whose national leader is Balraj, now operating under the alias, Baba Bajrangi. Balraj plans to amass his wealth under the guise of public service, through exploiting Kerala’s political landscape. Meanwhile, Govardhan has been investigating Stephen Nedumpally, P. K. Ramdas’ adopted son, who disappeared from politics after Jathin took office. In the UK, agent Boris Oliver has been pursuing the Khureshi-Ab’raam nexus. On the other hand, officer Robert McCarthy, covertly conspires with Kabuga, an African crime lord and Sergei Leonov, a former associate of Ab’raam, to traffic drugs from to . Simultaneously, Khureshi who opposes drug trafficking, thwarts the operation and eliminates McCarthy and Leonov. He arranges a meeting with Kabuga in . Boris assigns his colleague, MI6 agent Michele Menuhin to track Ab’raam; unbeknownst to her, Boris has been secretly affiliated with Khureshi Ab’raam Nexus and leaks the information to Khureshi. In India, Govardhan’s search leads him to Daniel Rawther, a friend of Stephen, who drugs and smuggles him to New York City. There, he discovers that Stephen has been living under his alternate identity, Khureshi Ab’raam. Stephen assures Govardhan of his return to India, before leaving to Iraq to eliminate Kabuga’s syndicate with the help of Zayed. To deceive his enemies, he fakes his death, a story later reported by NPTV channel, plunging Kerala’s political landscape into uncertainty. It is also revealed that Stephen had done the agencies a favour as Robert McCarthy was a double agent working for the Kabuga cartel also. Priya protests against the construction of a controversial in Nedumpally. During a protest, she is attacked by unidentified assailants, but manages to escape into a forest, where she is rescued by Stephen, who has since returned to India. He convinces her to step forward as the IUF’s new Chief Ministerial candidate. Priya agrees and assumes the post of the party leader, thereby making her entry into active politics. The next day a large meeting was held at the party head office PKR Bhavan. As Priya was addressing the gathering and the other leaders, the Central Investigation Agencies, upon the orders of the Union Home Minister arrive to arrest Priya upon a non-bailable arrest warrant based on money laundering charges. As Priya cooperates and is arrested, it leads to a large public support for her from all sides. On the other hand, Jathin meets with Munna and proceeds to meet Balraj, but is kidnapped and held hostage by Khureshi and his men until Priya is cleared of false money laundering charges – charges that were linked to Jathin’s past crimes as the IUF president. In a flashback, it is revealed that Zayed fell into the hands of the , an extremist group that radicalises children for terrorism. En route to , he was saved by Khureshi, who took him under his wing and promised to help him seek revenge. Upon Priya’s release, Stephen and Zayed orchestrate a final showdown against Balraj and Munna, at the site where Zayed’s family were massacred, ultimately killing them and fulfilling Zayed’s long awaited revenge. With Balraj and Munna dead, Priyadarshini launches her political campaign. Meanwhile, Khureshi gives Jathin an ultimatum: to support Priya’s rise to power or face death; Jathin reluctantly agrees to support Priya. Khureshi receives a call from Shenlong Shen, a powerful leader of an Afro-Chinese crime syndicate called Shen Triad, that was aligned with Kabuga, who captures and kills Boris in revenge for killing Kabuga. As Khureshi is still talking to Shenlong, Jathin boards a helicopter to be taken back, however, a bomb that was set by the Shen Triad explodes, killing him instantly, much to the shock of both Khureshi and Zayed. In the , Shenlong Shen, expresses his interest in meeting Khureshi, hinting towards an impending conflict. Seeking to uncover Stephen’s past, he begins investigating how Stephen became Khureshi Ab’raam, leading to a trail revealing a much younger Stephen in 1981 , confirming the third part. No official announcement of a follow-up was made for (2019), despite its open ending. The possibility of a continuation was confirmed by writer in an interview in April 2019, shortly after the release of . He clarified that ” is definitely designed as a franchise, and it is very evident from its structure and progression.” The official announcement of a second film and its title took place during a press conference on 18 June 2019. Shedding light on the meaning of the title, said that “Empuraan” signifies “someone who is more than a king, but less than a god”, with a more literal translation being “overlord”. Murali revealed that was conceived as a series right from its inception. The success of the first film gave them confidence to proceed with , said Prithviraj. Production was planned to commence in the second half of 2020. In September 2019, Prithviraj further revealed that is part of a three-film series. The trilogy was originally envisioned as a three-season web series, the first season was transformed into the film , while the second and third seasons were adapted for the subsequent instalments. Prithviraj clarified that does not continue the story of but rather delves into the events that occurred before and after it, and that they have built “a franchise structure that visits every aspect of the story”. Murali hinted that would unveil more layers of the narrative. Although it maintains continuity, the film was conceived as a standalone entry, not requiring viewers to have seen the first film. The onset of the in 2020 led to the postponement of the production. In September 2020, Murali presented a comprehensive design brief of to Prithviraj, who stated that it assisted him in visualising an edited and colour-corrected version of the film. Pre-production, that was set to begin in 2021, was again delayed due to the pandemic. In the meantime, Prithviraj directed another film, (2022), in the third quarter of 2021. In October 2021, Prithviraj disclosed that they were still waiting for the pandemic situation to subside, as they could not proceed with under that situation and expressed hope to start filming by mid-2022. In 2022, Murali revealed plans to “scale up the magnitude and scope” of . He was in the process of writing the screenplay in May 2022, which he completed that month. In July, Prithviraj announced the completion of final script and informed lead actor and producer . The following month, the team officially announced through social media that they had entered the pre-production phase, “we are starting the actual process of making the film from today (17 August 2022)”, Prithviraj described the film as a “commercial entertainer”. In September 2023, the film production company announced their involvement in the production of , marking their debut in Malayalam cinema, along with , the producer of . Additionally, Prithviraj’s company is credited for “project design”. In March 2025, Sree Gokulam Movies joined the project as a co-producer, reportedly due to a financial dispute between Lyca Productions and Aashirvad Cinemas. reprises his role of Khureshi Ab’raam/Stephen Nedumpally. During the film’s announcement, it was revealed that Prithviraj’s character Zayed Masood would have more prominence in . Prithviraj said that Zayed’s role in Stephen’s life is bigger than what was shown in . Several actors from return to reprise their roles— , , , , , , , , , , , and , among others. , whose character Aloshy Joseph was killed off in , made an unannounced appearance in the trailer. Following this, he personally confirmed his presence in the film. In a December 2023 interview, confirmed his role as the antagonist opposite Mohanlal. Describing his character, Singh stated, “Balraj is a really complex character. He is not just one thing. There are many layers to him.” portrays politician Sajanachandran. He revealed that he personally expressed his desire to be cast in the film while working with Prithviraj on the sets of . Karthikeya Dev, who portrayed the younger version of Prithviraj’s character in , was similarly cast as the younger Masood (Prithviraj). appears as Subhadra Ben, a regal woman who owns a . Prithviraj revealed that at the time of casting, he was unaware she was ‘s sister and selected her based solely on her audition. Sukant Goel plays Munna, an accomplice to Balraj in his crimes and political career. British-Romanian actress joined the cast as Michele Menuhin, an operative working for and tasked with pursuing Ab’raam. British actor was cast as Boris Oliver, a significant figure in Ab’raam’s journey. French actor plays Kabuga, a character with negative shades. Prithviraj revealed that several foreign actors they had initially considered were unable to sign due to the , “we were in limbo for a while and kept waiting, but the strike just would not end and we had to move on”. As a result, the team restarted the casting process with non- actors. There were speculations about American actor ‘s involvement, but his casting remained undisclosed until the film’s release. Yune portrays Shenlong Shen, the leader of the Shen Triad nexus, a rival syndicate to Khureshi’s Indo-Arab nexus. Also, several other actors such as and were rumored to play the role until the release. Similarly, ‘s role was kept under wraps, only revealed through a flashback scene in which he plays a young Stephen. The other new additions include , , , Oziel Jivani, Aishwarya Ojha, Nayan Bhatt, , and Behzaad Khan. Following a six-month-long process in India, which concluded in February 2023, the film crew embarked on a across several international locations. was originally scheduled to commence on 15 August, however, it was postponed after Prithviraj sustained an injury on the sets of . Production eventually began with a customary on 5 October in on the outskirts of Delhi and . It primarily featured foreign actors and . Filming was moved to , Himachal Pradesh, following a day of shooting in Faridabad. Filming also took place in , . The first schedule was completed in Ladakh on 28 October. The crew began location scouting in the United Kingdom in November 2023. The location scouting process for the entire film spanned 18 months. The second schedule started in the UK in January 2024 and concluded later that month. In late February, filming shifted to the United States, covering various locations including New York, , , San Francisco, and . This schedule featured the principal cast members, Mohanlal, Tovino, Prithviraj, and Indrajith, and continued until the second week of March. By this time, approximately 20 percent of the film had been completed. The subsequent phase of production began in April on specially constructed sets in , concluding within the same month. This phase involved Mohanlal, Tovino, Warrier, and Saniya. By May, the production had moved to , where scenes were filmed at two schools with the participation of 2,000 extras, along with cast members Warrier, Suraj, Saikumar, Baiju, and Nandhu. In June, the crew filmed in , before relocating to by mid-June for the longest schedule of the production. The Gujarat schedule included scenes depicting Zayed’s younger years, with Mohanlal joining the shoot. Filming took place at a palace and on custom-built sets, covering both past and present timelines. However, caused delays. Production resumed in during the fourth week of September. The team shifted to in October for a brief schedule, reportedly at . Later in October, the production team returned to Thiruvananthapuram. Filming was held at , Kovalam, Beach, and . This phase concluded within the same month. Additional scenes were shot in places such as , , and during October. In November, the production moved to the and before returning to Kerala to film in , , and . Filming was on 1 December 2024, on the banks of the , marking the conclusion of 14 months of production. was completed in 145 days, which was 28 days shorter than the originally planned schedule. was filmed using the with a 2.8:1 , ensuring visual consistency with the first film. Prithviraj confirmed the third instalment will follow the same approach. He mostly utilised for the action sequences. The fight sequences were choreographed by . and Mohandas were retained as the cinematographer and art director, respectively. served as the film’s creative director. and George Pius of Wide Angle Creations served as the film’s . The film’s original soundtrack and background score was composed by , a frequent collaborator of Prithviraj. Composer Jakes Bejoy has sung a song. Usha Uthup has recorded a track. It features a theme song by Prarthana Indrajith which has English-language lyrics written by Prithviraj. The first single, “Phir Zinda” was released on 25 March 2025. The second single, “Kaavalaai Chekavar” was released on 29 March 2025. The third single titled “Azrael” was released on 3 April 2025. Within a week of wrapping production, the team confirmed that the first cut was finished and that was progressing at a brisk pace. The release date was announced on with a poster featuring a mysterious figure dressed in white and adorned with a red , which sparked widespread discussion among fans regarding the identity and background of the character. Birthday posters were released for as Khureshi Abraam, as Zayed Masood and as Govardhan, the latter two characters reportedly having more prominent screen presence with regards to the first instalment. The film’s teaser was released on 26 January 2025 in , coinciding with the . Similarly to , an 18-day character reveal campaign revealing the 36 principal cast members was launched as part of the film’s promotional strategy. The campaign began on 9 February 2025 and concluded on 28 February 2025. The film’s trailer was released on 20 March 2025. In November 2022, while the film was in pre-production, Prithviraj stated that they have not decided on a release date for the film. Beside its original release in Malayalam, the film would be released in , , and languages. The film is also marketed with the short title by the makers and was theatrically released on 27 March 2025, coinciding the sixth anniversary of . It is also the first Malayalam film to be released in and formats. acquired the distribution rights for . acquired the distribution rights for and under his banner . acquired the distribution rights for . Sree Gokulam Movies will distribute the film in through its own distribution network. The overseas rights for the film, excluding the and US, were acquired by Cyber Systems Australia. Phars Film distributed the film in the GCC regions. Aashirvad Hollywood and Prime Media acquired the distribution rights in the USA. RFT Entertainment acquired the distribution rights in the UK and Europe. The film began streaming on from 24 April 2025 in Malayalam and dubbed versions of Tamil, Telugu and Kannada languages. The Hindi dubbed version began streaming on the same platform from 23 May 2025. Pre sales began in overseas from 18 March 2025. In Australia, the film generated pre-sales of more than $100,000 for its opening day, surpassing with $69,590 on day 1. In Germany, the film generated €50,000 on its opening day, as no Malayalam film has opened above €10,000 with the highest opener previously held by which had an opening weekend of €45,000. In India, pre-sales began from 21 March 2025. The film registered the highest hourly pre-sales ever recorded in Indian cinema, with 96,140 tickets sold per hour on BookMyShow. As of 2 PM on 21 March 2025, the film sold 3,10,000 tickets on BookMyShow across all Indian theatres; the highest for a Malayalam film surpassing which sold 3,09,000 tickets in advance bookings. In Canada, the film made $500,000 in advance bookings by 23 March 2025. The film slated for screenings at in for a 24-hour continuous run from 27 March 6 AM to 31 March 4 AM. As of 10 PM on Sunday 24 March 2025, the film’s weekend worldwide advance sales surpassed ₹53 crore. In Germany, its four-day weekend advance booking exceeded €251,000 surpassing In Australia, the film made pre-sales of more than $601,000 by 24 March 2025. By 26 March 2025 with over 1.1 million tickets sold on BookMyShow, it is among India’s highest pre-release ticket sales films. With 11.29 lakh pre-sales, it surpassed other major releases such as , , and . The film headed for its release with the final pre-sales closing at ₹85 crore worldwide for the opening weekend (27–30 March), with ₹36 crore from India and ₹49 crore from overseas. For the opening day, the film made over ₹52.50 crore worldwide, in advance bookings. In Kerala, the film made over ₹12.40 crore in advance bookings for the opening day, surpassing that earlier attained the top spot at the Kerala opening day box-office. S. R. Praveen of wrote that “Mohanlal, rich production design fail to save this sequel”. Anna Mathews of gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote that ” doesn’t quite match the punch of Lucifer”. Ganesh Aaglave of gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote “Mohanlal & Prithviraj Sukumaran starrer action-thriller is high on swag, charisma & technical brilliance”. Pooja Pillai of wrote that “Despite its storytelling flaws, the film remains a grand theatrical spectacle best experienced on the big screen with all its cinematic flair.” Sanjith Sidhardhan of gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote “Prithviraj Sukumaran elevates the stakes with an ambitious but less nuanced follow-up to “. Sajin Shrijith of the rated 3/5 and wrote, “The second chapter of ‘Lucifer’ is too pre-occupied with eyeball-catching visualisation than storytelling prowess, and suffers a little as a result.” Goutham S of gave 4/5 stars and wrote “Mohanlal starrer acts as mirror to socio-political narrative with string of new foes lining up to vanquish Khureshi”. BVS Prakash of gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote that ” struggles to match the impact of its predecessor but remains an intriguing watch for fans of Lucifer”. Janani K of gave 3/5 stars and wrote “Director Prithviraj Sukumaran’s is a fitting sequel to . Mounted on a grand scale, the film displays convenient writing but makes up with stunning visuals.” Anandu Suresh of gave 3/5 stars and wrote “Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Mohanlal-starrer is certainly not another run-of-the-mill pan-Indian film that exists solely to scream “look what our star can do!”. Kirubhankar Purushothaman of gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote “Prithviraj Effectively Scales Up Mohanlal’s To Greater Heights”. Rohit Panikker of gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote ” is a befitting addition to the Lucifer universe, and entertains you through and through despite its extra run-time and extensive world-building.” gave 3/5 stars and wrote ” boasts mass appeal, grandeur, and stellar performances.” Arjun Menon of gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote ” is an ambitious sequel that is bigger, bolder and timid in equal measure” Pratyusha Sista of wrote ” is a gripping political thriller that delivers on all fronts—story, action, and performances. It’s a well-connected sequel that avoids unnecessary drama, keeping audiences hooked for the entire 180-minute runtime. Whether you’re a Lucifer fan or a newcomer, this film is a must-watch in theatres for its larger-than-life experience”. On its opening day, the film grossed ₹65 crore worldwide, which was the highest opening day gross for a Malayalam film. The film continued to gross ₹34 crore on its second day, hence crossing the ₹100 crore mark in 2 days. moved on towards its first weekend grossing ₹35 crore on Saturday and ₹38 crore on Sunday to a worldwide gross of ₹174 crore (4 days). It debuted third at the Global opening weekend grossing around $20M worldwide. It secured the second place at the Comscore / opening weekend with a $1.5 million making it one of the biggest regional Indian film debuts in U.K. in recent years. The first four day Kerala weekend gross was ₹42.55 crore. In 5 days, the film grossed ₹54.55 crore in Kerala; the fastest ₹50 crore entry in the state surpassing It crossed ₹200 crore worldwide within the same period. The film grossed ₹228.75 crore completing its first week of run also taking its 7-day Kerala gross to ₹68.50 crore. On its 9th day of release, it surpassed to become the All Time top grossing Malayalam film. The film crossed ₹250 crore globally in 11 days. The worldwide gross was ₹258 crore in 14 days, was at ₹262.75 crore in 16 days, including ₹120 crore gross (₹103 crore net) in India, and ₹142 crore from overseas. The film has collected 86.30 crore from Kerala box office, becoming the second highest grossing film in Kerala, behind . The film completed its global theatrical run with a total gross collection of 268 crore, including 144.80 crore from overseas. The film’s controversies have boosted its box office performance, with people going to theatres to watch the original version before the re-edited one starts to premiere. The marketing for the film reportedly used by incorporating provocative themes like the and the dispute. This sparked controversy, boosting its ₹70 crore first-week earnings. While some called it a publicity stunt, others credited its success to audience resonance. The buzz amplified visibility, drawing crowds and showcasing shock marketing’s impact. According to Kerala Film Producers’ Association was made on a budget of 175.66 crore and was deemed as a profitable film. They said that the film made 24.65 crore theatre share from Kerala in five days of its release. delves into themes of power, identity, and vengeance, interweaving Kerala’s political turbulence with elements of global crime. The film follows Khureshi Ab’raam ( ) as he navigates a dual persona, while Zayed Masood ( ) embarks on a quest for retribution connected to the fictionalised . Its socio-political commentary—featuring a Hindutva-inspired antagonist and depictions of communal violence—has sparked controversy, resulting in scene cuts due to backlash from right-wing groups. Nevertheless, some critics have praised the film for its bold stance against communalism. While critics recognised the film’s technical prowess and Mohanlal’s compelling performance, they noted that the writing lacked consistency, with the “L” motif’s symbolism seen as overly heavy-handed. As a midpoint in the trilogy, presents a divisive mix of spectacle and depth. Shortly after its theatrical release on 27 March 2025, a pirated copy of began circulating on notorious websites and groups, prompting swift action from the film’s team. The Kerala Film Producers’ Association intensified its anti-piracy efforts in response to the leak of high-definition (HD) prints of the film. In a press release, the association announced the appointment of to monitor and track piracy activities using advanced digital tracking tools, with a focus on identifying individuals downloading pirated versions. The association also urged the government to establish a special team to enforce copyright laws and address the growing issue of illegal distribution of theatrical and HD prints of new releases. , the film’s producer, filed a complaint with the Kerala cyber police, which subsequently launched an investigation into the unauthorised online distribution. Filmmakers highlighted piracy as a significant concern, particularly for and global releases like . In a related development, on 2 April 2025, sealed an in , , after discovering it was involved in downloading and distributing a pirated version of . The operation followed a tip-off received by the social media monitoring cell of Kannur City Police, leading to a joint investigation by local police and the cyber cell that uncovered the pirated file. The café was shut down, and authorities indicated that a case would be registered, though no arrests were reported at the time. As announced by the team, is a trilogy, implying the existence of a third film as a continuation of the series. During a September 2019 event, Prithviraj mentioned that the third film will explore a much darker theme in the series. In January 2025, while talking about the cinematographic techniques used in , Prithviraj confirmed that the same techniques would be used in the third film as well. In the film’s , the third and final installment in the trilogy, , was announced. The film’s story would revolve around the conflict between Khureshi Abr’aam and the leader of the Shen triad group, played by . Later, the title of the film was revealed by the music director of the film, as . Following its release, the film was met with immediate criticism from right-wing political groups like (RSS), who objected towards the name of the villain as well as the portrayal of leaders in a negative shade. One of the antagonistic characters in film was named “Baba Bajrangi”, which some viewers interpreted as an allusion to leader , a convicted figure involved in the who was sentenced to life imprisonment for masterminding the . , who holds the honorary rank of in the , faced criticism for acting in the film, with people calling for his rank to be revoked. The film was criticised by RSS mouthpiece as using the to push an “anti-Hindu political agenda.” Tamil Nadu Rajya Sabha MP demanded a ban on the film or removal of scenes about the , citing safety and misrepresentation concerns. The film portrays the dam as “Nedumpally dam” and shows it at risk of collapsing. Former Chief Minister also criticised the film, arguing it could harm relations between Tamil Nadu and Kerala. On 4 April, the debated about the film’s controversies. Water Resources Minister expressed concerns about a scene, despite not having seen the film. , noted that the film had passed censorship without objections, with protests emerging only after its release. On 4 April 2025, the (ED) raided Gokulam Gopalan’s offices in Chennai and Kochi, a producer of , over alleged (FEMA) violations. The raids, amid the film’s existing controversies over its depiction of the and right-wing politics, fuelled speculation of a link to its content. However, ED officials clarified that the raid concerns FEMA violations, not the film controversy. This added further complexity to the ongoing debates and protests surrounding the movie. The current raids are part of investigation into the suspected money laundering through exaggerated collection reports of films produced and distributed by his firm, Sree Gokulam Movies. As part of an investigation into alleged financial irregularities, the ED seized ₹1.5 crore in cash and incriminating documents during searches at 10 locations across Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The investigation intensified following the seizures. Following the controversy, the issued a notice to actor and filmmaker regarding discrepancies in the payment details of films co-produced by him. The notice seeked clarification on certain aspects of his income declarations related to these productions. The had also issued a notice to producer Antony Perumbavoor, seeking a detailed clarification into the financial transactions of the franchise and (2021). The notice specifically addressed overseas distribution rights and an alleged payment made to Mohanlal in Dubai. Due to the surrounding the film, the makers announced over 17 voluntary changes in the film including edits to riots sequences, portrayal of violence against women, the antagonist’s name as well as muting of some of the dialogues. Subsequently, three minute of visuals were said to be removed for exhibitions with effect from 31 March. Confirming the changes to film, Mohanlal expressed ‘regret’ for the political and social themes in the film and said that it is his duty as an artist to ensure that none of his films harbour hatred towards any political movement, ideology, or religious sect. However two days later, 24 cuts amounting to 2 minutes and 8 seconds of visuals were certified by the , with changes made to various scenes, character names, and visuals. In the re-censored version of the film which was re-released on 2 April, significant changes were made to address sensitive content. One of the major alterations involved the character of Balraj, alias Baba Bajrangi, the antagonist who leads a mob. This character, originally resembling leader —who was sentenced to life imprisonment for his involvement in the —had been renamed Baldev. Additionally, the display card that originally stated “India 2002” had been changed to “a few years ago” to avoid direct reference to the 2002 riots. Several graphic visuals, including those of vehicles passing in front of a religious structure, violence against women, and dead bodies during riot scenes, had been removed. A conversation between a young Zayed Masood (played by director ) and his father during the riots was also cut. Further cuts were made to remove references to the (NIA), particularly in scenes where the agency was shown as being misused by the ruling party to target political opponents. Audio mutes were employed to eliminate any mention of the . The “Special Thanks” section of the film credits also saw some changes, with the names of actor and Union Minister of State for Petroleum and IRS officer Jyothis Mohan being removed. While the re-edited version was intended for screening in India, the uncut version of the film continued to be shown internationally. However, the streaming release, via , incorporated the same cuts made for the theatrical domestic version.</p>