L2: Empuraan: The Aamir Khan Connection

‘Aamir
messaged
me
asking
me,
‘Is
my
sister
good
in
the
film?’
I
said,
‘Sir,
she
is
a
lot
better
than
good.’


Rediff.com‘s
Mayur
Sanap,
Hitesh
Harisinghani
and
Afsar
Dayatar
report
from
the

L2:
Empuraan
trailer
launch.

“During
an
interview
20
years
ago,
I
was
asked
if
I’d
ever
directed
a
film,
who
would
be
the
star
cast.
I
instantly
replied,
Mohanlal
and
Manju
Warrier.
This
was
me
having
no
intention
of
directing
a
movie
back
then,”
recalls
Prithviraj
Sukumaran
ahead
of
the
release
of
his
new
film,

L2:
Empuraan.

Prithviraj’s
dream
came
true
when
he
got
to
direct
both
Mohanlal
and
Manju
Warrier
in
his
directorial
debut,

Lucifer.
The
2019
Malayalam
blockbuster
returns
with
a
sequel
but
this
time,
as
a
much
bigger
entity.

This
second
instalment
in
the
planned

Lucifer
trilogy
packs
a
Pan-India
appeal
as
it
releases
across
five
languages
including
Malayalam,
Tamil,
Telugu,
Kannada
and
Hindi
on
March
27.

At
the
promotional
event
in
Mumbai,
Prithviraj
said
the
sheer
scale
of

Empuraan
demanded
a
wide
release.

“Malayalam
is
not
essentially
known
for
big-ticket
popcorn
entertainers.
I
am
sure
we
will
get
there.
This
film
is
an
attempt
to
gatecrash
into
the
pan-India
phenomenon,”
Prithviraj
said,
adding,
“I
just
hope
this
film
does
at
least
this
much
that
someone
from
Jharkhand
may
spot
a
small
Malayalam
film
and
watch
it
in
a
theatre
in
future.”

SEE:
Prithviraj
on
what
contemporary
Malayalam
cinema
lacks

Mohanlal,
who
reunites
with
Prithviraj
after
his
2022
sophomore
directorial

Bro
Daddy,
heaped
praises
on
his
direction
skills
and
felt
that
making
a
film
like

L2:
Empuraan
is
not
easy.

“He
is
one
of
the
greatest
directors
of
India.
He
is
going
to
be
a
force
to
look
out
for.
This
is
just
the
tip
of
the
iceberg
(of
his
talent).
He
lives
and
breathes
cinema.
Otherwise,
he
is
a
naughty
guy,”
Mohanlal
said
with
a
smile.

SEE:
Mohanlal
reflects
on
his
47
year-long
journey
in
cinema

Manju
Warrier,
who
will
reprise
her
role
in
the
sequel,
expressed
her
excitement
on
the
project
and
lauded
Prithviraj
as
director.

“For
this
film,
my
job
was
very
easy
because
Prithviraj
is
one
of
the
directors
who
has
utmost
clarity
and
conviction.
The
confidence
he
has
and
the
way
he
communicates
with
the
actors
makes
your
job
so
easy.
You
just
have
to
try
to
deliver
what
he
is
expecting
from
you,”
she
said.

SEE:
How
Prithviraj
shot
for

L2
Empuraan
despite
a
major
leg
injury

Besides
Mohanlal,
Manju
Warrier
and
Prithviraj,

Empuraan
also
stars
Tovino
Thomas,
Abhimanyu
Singh,
Sukant
Gorl,
Indrajith
Sukumaran
and
Aamir
Khan’s
sister,
Nikhat
Khan
Hegde
who
will
make
her
debut
in
South
cinema.

Prithviraj
revealed
Nikhat
was
cast
after
he
liked
her
casting
tape
but
he
did
not
know
she
was
Aamir’s
sister.

“I
said
I
like
her
when
I
saw
her
audition.
My
casting
director
said,
oh
yeah,
she
is
wonderful.
By
the
way,
she
is
Aamir
sir’s
sister.
I
called
Aamir
sir
after
that,”
the
actor
said.

“He
just
messaged
me
asking
me,
‘Is
my
sister
good
in
the
film?’
I
said,
‘Sir,
she
is
a
lot
better
than
good’.”

Prithviraj
then
recalled
how
he
shot
the
film
for
two
years
with
the
team
of
700
people
across
six
countries,
including
China,
the
US,
and
parts
of
India.

The
actor-director
revealed
the

Oppenheimer
connection
with
his
film
as
he
shot

L2:
Empuraan
at
the
same
location
as
Christopher
Nolan’s
Oscar-winning
film.

“We
landed
in
Santa
Fe
in
New
Mexico
right
before

Oppenheimer‘s
release.
That’s
where
the
Oppenheimer
test
took
place,”
Prithviraj
said.

“It
is
mine
and
Mohanlal
sir’s
favourite
shooting
location.”