I helped secure censorship for ‘Empuraan', but was unaware of film’s content: Suresh Gopi

Union Minister and actor Suresh Gopi recently revealed the reason behind his decision to have his name removed from the special thanks card of ‘Empuraan.’ Speaking at a session during the Manorama News Newsmaker event in Delhi, the minister revealed that he personally contacted the film’s producer, Gokulam Gopalan, to have his name removed from the special thanks card.

"I assisted the team in securing the necessary permissions for the film, including for its censorship. Without these approvals, the movie would have been stalled, particularly the permission to shoot at the CRPF Pallippuram camp. I reached out to (Union Minister of Home Affairs) Amit Shah to help make this happen," Gopi shared. "My name was likely added to the thanks card because of my involvement. However, after learning more about the film’s content, I felt my name should not be associated with it," said Suresh Gopi, who received the Manorama News Newsmaker award 2025 from Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan. The minister also that he has never seen the movie and has no intention of watching it in the future.

‘Empuraan,’ directed by Prithviraj and starring Mohanlal, is the sequel to the commercially successful ‘Lucifer.’ The film, however, sparked controversy after its release, with several right-wing groups accusing it of promoting an anti-Hindu narrative. Mohanlal had issued an apology amid the controversy, though Prithviraj remained tight-lipped about the incident, till recently.