L2: Empuraan
Dir: Prithviraj Sukumaran
Cast: Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran
Rating: 3/5

I deeply admire an artiste with a spine. In 2025, it has become fashionable to say films are primarily meant to entertain. “It’s a business and thus making money is a priority,” we’ve heard filmmakers and producers ramble on, on podcasts. Sure, it is all of that but what about the artistic value of a film? Commerce has taken precedence over cinema. But every now and then, a mainstream film comes along and reminds you that it is possible to entertain without featuring questionable politics. From the onset, it was evident that L2: Empuraan, the sequel to Lucifer (2019), is not a mellow film. 

There’s a classic question that’s asked for sequels. Is it as good as the original? In this case, I’d say, just about. Prithviraj Sukumaran returns to the director’s chair to take the reins of the story that has found newer audiences everyday since it was released. Because of the OTT boom during the lockdown, the love for the original film has only grown. One can imagine why the toughest bit of the second part would have been its writing. How do you carry forward the essence of Lucifer, live up to the expectations of people given its success, and make a quintessential ‘pan-India film’. Even though the makers win some and lose some, they put up a commendable effort to do it all.