L2: Empuraan delves into Stephen Nedumpally‘s alternate identity Ab’raam Khureshi while traveling across the world as the head and mastermind behind the Khureshi-Ab’raam crime syndicate.
The movie, while it is wildly hero-centric, is not Mohanlal-driven. The plot and story take the centre stage. Actors, whether it is Tovino Thomas’ Jatin Ramdas, Manju Warrier‘s Priyadarshini Ramdas, or even Mohanlal‘s Ab’raam Khureshi, have been perfectly used. Each of their screen time is peppered perfectly, making it equally everyone’s movie. Every actor gets their space and their moments.
Unlike a lot of action films in which acting may take the back seat, Empuraan‘s actors do an outstanding job, whether a mere cameo or a full-fledged role.
Prithviraj Sukumaran shines as a director in bringing Murali Gopi‘s script to life. This is a first for Malayalam, a film set to international standards. And I don’t just mean the multiple locations the film showcases; it’s the vision.
To those saying that the movie is not as good as Lucifer. I disagree. It’s a different movie, it’s darker, more violent and it’s not just set in the greenery and political circle of Kerala anymore. Mind you this is not a family film per se. It’s a power-packed action entertainer. The Lucifer universe has crossed borders with L2: Empuraan. It is truly a movie for the entire world. For Lalettan fans, it is an obvious watch. As a movie lover, it’s a must-watch.
But a fair warning for those expecting Mohanlal to be in every frame. Spoiler alert: He isn’t. Prithviraj flawlessly executes his vision of keeping his hero at the pedestal he should be, as the main anti-hero of this universe. As he said in his interviews, Ab’raam Khureshi should not be so easily accessible and that’s what makes his character as sinister as he seems.
Are there slow-motion punches fight sequences and walks? Hell yes. A lot Ls planted through out the film referring to the heroes infamous nickname – Lucifer? Yup. And eloquently worded metaphors, quotes and dialogues? Absolutely. But with all that and much more, the film keeps you at the edge of your seat with a pacing that steadily picks up. It fairs well even as a stand alone film, for those who haven’t seen Lucifer.
Another commendable aspect about the movie is its music. The background score by Deepak Dev is electrifying, rendering several whistle-worthy moments.
SPOILER ALERT:
Where Empuraan misses the mark is in a lot of unworthy cameos that doesn’t leave an impact. With a film of this scale, you end up expecting a big reveal cameo of another actor that would add to an applause from the audience. And ofcourse the over the top ideals projected by the ‘good party’ is a bit much. Not to mention, the Indian flag saree (IYKYK). While the movie as a whole fairs well, you miss the striking dialogues that were whistle-worthy in itself from Lucifer. Unlike the first installment, there are no powerful one liners to take home from Empuraan. This is probably where Murali Gopi loses his Malayalam audience a bit.
You get to sit back and watch Prithviraj craft a high-octane action universe, seamlessly backed by a gripping story. We may have had many hero-centric massy films across India, compared to all of that, this one is worth your time.
Having said that, it is a full-fledged theatre film, and it is long. Unlike Lucifer, which worked well both in theatres as well as the small screen ( I myself saw it a year later on Amazon Prime), I am unsure if our attention spans can handle the sort of pause and watch approach to this film when it releases on OTT.
All in all, take a bow, team Empuraan!
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