Censorship files: Wtf happened with ‘Empuraan’?

Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar

Censorship files: Wtf happened with ‘Empuraan’?

The context: ‘Empuraan’ is the second part of a Malayalam political-thriller trilogy—headlined by Mohanlal and directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran. It is the highly anticipated sequel to the 2019 film ‘Lucifer’—which focused on the struggle for power within a powerful political family—after the death of a patriarch. Think ‘Game of Thrones’ meets ‘Succession’. ‘Empuraan’ offers the backstory of the main protagonist: Mohanlal’s character Stephen Nedumpally—aka Lucifer aka Khuresh Ab'Ram. You can check out the trailer below:

Wtf happened here: The movie broke Malayalam industry records on the very first day—chalking up Rs 22 crore. Then the film suddenly became a target for rightwing activists—who called Empuraan “an outright Hindu-bashing propaganda film that paints Hindus as villains.”

The trigger: an attack launched by the RSS-backed publication Organiser. The source of all that ire: the powerful opening sequence of the movie that looks similar to 2002 Gujarat riots:

Empuraan, which says the events portrayed are all fictional, begins with extensive sequences of a communal flare-up which runs to over 15 minutes. While the images in the title sequences appear to be referencing the burning of a coach of the Sabarmati Express carrying saffron-clad men at Godhra railway station, the opening scenes depict mob violence in which several Muslims are killed. Some of the sequences appear to be a reference to the Bilkis Bano case in which 11 men were convicted for the gang-rape and murder of several members of a family.

Another incendiary reference: The villain’s name is Balraj Patel—close to Babubhai Patel, known by his alias Babu Bajrangi. The former leader of the Bajrang Dal led the Naroda Patiya massacre of 97 Muslims—and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Irony alert: The same rightwing groups were champions of ‘The Kerala Story’—a propaganda flick aimed at demonising the state’s Muslim residents—with a Bengali director and Gujarati producer.

The weird bit: The film had been cleared by the censors. The Central Board of Film Certification only recommended two to three cuts—mainly of scenes depicting violence against women—which shortened the final runtime by a measly 10 seconds. The CBFC is 100% controlled by the government—which picks its members.

The even weirder bit: The Kerala BJP unit has distanced itself from the rightwing campaign, saying: “The film will go its way, and party will do its work. The party will not be affected by any film. The Sangh Parivar activists have the right to express their views and let the audience decide whether it is good or bad.”

The fallout: Director Prithviraj Sukumaran will make 17 “voluntary cuts” in the film and change the name of the villain. Actor Mohanlal has issued an abject apology. All this despite staunch support from the Kerala government. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan shared a Facebook post calling the rightwing campaign the “latest manifestation of fascism.” That said, ‘Empuraan’ is playing in theatres right now without any cuts—since the censor board is closed for the long holiday weekend. The latest box office earnings: Rs 50 crores.

Reading list: The Hindu has the latest details—and fallout. India Today has a detailed description of the plot.

Mr Vance goes to Greenland

The context: Greenland was a Danish colony until 1953 and became an autonomous territory in 2009. The island is also home to the US military's Pituffik Space Base—built in 1951 as part of an agreement between Denmark and the US. There are 150 US military personnel permanently stationed there. But the deal allows the US to expand its military footprint in Greenland at any time.

About that unstately visit: On March 24, the White House announced that Usha Vance—wife of veep JD—will drop in on Greenland for a three-day tour. But, but, but: Greenland wasn’t too happy because a) she was uninvited and b) unwelcome. The reason: Donald Trump has repeatedly announced plans to ‘take’ Greenland—which is admittedly rude. Then JD suddenly decided to join his wife—at which point Greenland PM Múte B Egede lost his shit—calling the entire event “highly aggressive.”

The fallout: Nobody in Greenland wanted to host—let alone—meet the Vances. The grand tour turned into a 24-hour flyby visit to the US military base on Friday. But that didn’t prevent dear JD from making yet another “highly aggressive” speech—this time with men in military uniform arrayed behind him:

The Danes were not amused—neither were the people of Greenland.

But why Greenland? Let’s stipulate that the Donald is prone to sudden fancies. Each new day brings a new dream of conquest—let’s take the Panama Canal, Canada etc. But wtf is with this obsession with Greenland. Yes, it has rich minerals, rare earth and precious metal deposits—but so does Trump’s best friend Russia. The secret of Greenland’s allure lies in this single quote:

If you look at a map of the world that has the north pole at its centre, rather than the equator, it is easy to see how Greenland suddenly switches from being an easily overlooked smudge of uninhabited territory and into a key strategic landmass. It is at the heart of what many analysts now accept as an emerging power struggle between China, the US, and Russia, for control of the arctic, its minerals and its shipping lanes.

Get a perspective: In other words, look at Greenland this way:

It sits right between the Northern Sea Route and the Northwest Passage. As the Arctic ice shrinks, there will be a new Transpolar Sea Route that cuts through—passing Greenland’s eastern shores. That’s why it is so attractive to all the superpowers—Russia, China and the US:

As Arctic sea ice melts, these routes could reduce shipping times and bypass traditional chokepoints like the Suez and Panama Canals. Currently, these routes are commercially unviable and will likely remain so for many years because of treacherous weather and floating ice. In the long term, as vessel traffic in the Arctic Ocean increases, Greenland will likely become a key player in effective management of the Arctic Ocean.

Adding to the tug-of-war: Denmark which is claiming sovereignty over the entire Arctic!

Reading list: ABC News and BBC News have more on the Vances’ visit. CNN reports on the PR shitshow that preceded the change in trip itinerary. The Conversation analyses Greenland’s strategic value for the US.

A grim survey on Indian policing

A new survey by Lokniti-CSDS and Common Cause—based on over 8,200 police personnel across 17 states—offers a depressing eye-opener. Here are the lowlights:

30% of police personnel justify third-degree torture in serious cases. Jharkhand and Gujarat police are the worst—while Kerala ranks the lowest.
26% strongly agree and 45% somewhat agree that police should be allowed to use force without any fear of punishment.
Custodial deaths are common—with 55% occurring within the first 24 hours of arrest. Yet, there have been zero convictions between 2018 and 2022.
Victims of police violence are overwhelmingly from poor and marginalised groups—Muslims, Dalits, Adivasis, and slum dwellers.
18% of police personnel believe that Muslims are "naturally prone" to crime—and 25% support mob violence.

Newslaundry has the best overview of the report. The entire report can be found here.

Prince Harry’s got a problem in Africa

Quick context: Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho founded the charity Sentebale in 2006—to support children in southern Africa affected by HIV/AIDS. It was inspired by his mother Diana’s work with AIDS survivors.

What happened now: The famed charity has turned into a PR shitshow. Harry and the entire board have dramatically quit—blaming an irreparable fallout with chairwoman Dr Sophie Chandauka. She in turn has described him as “the number-one risk” to the charity’s survival:

She argued that the volatile public sentiment around Prince Harry since his move to the US and media fallout after the release of a Netflix documentary in 2022 and his book in 2023 had an impact on the charity’s ability to diversify its donor pool and make senior hires.

Chandauka also says the charity was asked to defend his wife, Meghan in the face of negative coverage—which she turned down: “I said no, we’re not setting a precedent by which we become an extension of the Sussex PR machine.” There’s also talk of “disrespect, bullying, and intimidation” as chair—along with “misogyny and misogynoir (misogyny against Black women).”

Harry’s allegations: are tame in comparison. He and the other trustees asked for Chandauka’s resignation in February—”blaming her for the charity losing out on funding while simultaneously increasing spending on consultants.”

The hidden subtext: Behind all the name-calling is this interesting tidbit: Dr Chandauka was reportedly pushing to expand Sentebale’s focus beyond HIV/AIDS to climate resilience, wealth inequality, and youth health. In her words, “The way the organisation had been set up in 2006 was no longer appropriate in 2023 in a post-Black Lives Matter world.” Financial Times (paywalled) has the interview with Dr Sophie Chandauka. For a free roundup of events, check out BBC News.

Support this sanctuary: An important appeal for Bangalore’s dogs

As you well know, we are mad about animals over here at splainer—-so the shout-out for this fundraiser means a lot to us. Established in September 2024, Goodoo is an animal welfare organisation that is dedicated to rescuing, treating, releasing and rehoming injured, abused and abandoned dogs in the Bangalore area.

The organisation is currently over halfway short of its modest Rs 5 lakh goal—needed to build the inaugural shelter space for dogs. Every little bit of financial contribution counts—so please head over to Goodoo’s Milaap page if you can.

PS: One of the board members is Chitra Raghavan—who is a splainer subscriber and legal advisor from our very inception. So we have full faith in Goodoo’s integrity.

what caught our eye

business & tech

TCS and Infosys crushed the global IT services industry post-2020, growing at more than double the sector’s 14% pace.
French shoppers are ditching McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and Tesla to snub Trump, but teens say they can’t afford the #BoycottUSA trend.
Kink and LGBT dating apps leaked 1.5 million explicit user photos online, leaving them wide open to hackers and extortionists.
Google Maps will soon scan your screenshots to help plan trips and find cheaper stays via Google Hotels.

sports & entertainment

Nitish Rana’s 81 off 36 balls and Jofra Archer’s fiery opening spell ensured that the Rajasthan Royals beat CSK by 6 runs in Guwahati—marking their first win of the season.
Led by Mitchell Starc’s career-best 5-35 and Faf du Plessis’ 50 off 27 balls, the Delhi Capitals demolished the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Vizag by chasing down a modest target of 163 with four overs to spare.
Dua Lipa won a legal battle over her hit 'Levitating' after a judge tossed out the copyright lawsuit, ruling the song’s similarities weren’t protected.
Hrithik Roshan will direct and star in 'Krrish 4', marking his debut behind the camera in Bollywood’s biggest superhero franchise.
Sean Kingston and his mother were found guilty of wire fraud and face decades in prison, with sentencing set for July.
Rapper Young Scooter died after jumping a fence during an Atlanta police chase, suffering fatal injuries while fleeing.

health & environment

Comedy Central and VH1, once household staples for sitcoms, reality shows, and music, are vanishing as the TV industry goes all-in on digital.
US measles cases have already topped 2024's total, hitting 378 by March 20—Texas and New Mexico alone account for 370.
Yoghurt could help lower your risk of bowel cancer, with new research linking it to reduced colorectal cancer rates.
Getting zapped by lightning makes Dipteryx oleifera trees 14 times more likely to sprout offspring, new research shows.

meanwhile, in the world

Hamas has agreed to a 50-day truce deal, offering five hostages for the ceasefire, while Israel counters with a US-backed proposal—even as Gaza's bakeries face running out of flour within a week due to Israel's month-long blockade
Harvard’s Middle Eastern studies heads, Cemal Kafadar and Rosie Bsheer, are stepping down—moves critics slam as a ‘shameful attempt’ to appease Trump.
Most employees at the US Institute of Peace—Congress-backed think tank that seeks to prevent and resolve global conflicts—were mass-fired via a late-night email.
New York Times has a good read on Afghan students at the American University of Afghanistan in Qatar, who fear being forced to return to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan after Trump-era aid and visa cuts left them stranded.
Also from New York Times: It investigates America’s covert military partnership with Ukraine, revealing that the US was far more entangled in the war than previously known.

meanwhile, in India

Zee founder Subhash Chandra apologised to Rhea Chakraborty, admitting that Zee News and other media outlets wrongly vilified her in the Sushant Singh Rajput case.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club election was postponed after a violent clash sent a candidate to the hospital, capping months of infighting that began with the ousting of its top brass in October.
In typical fashion, The Uttar Pradesh government has banned meat sales within 500 metres of religious sites during Navratri.
AFSPA has yet again been extended for six months in Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh, covering most of Manipur.
Nearly 30% of the MHA’s takedown notices to X target posts about Union Ministers and government agencies.
Child labour cases in Maharashtra, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh are nearly eight times higher than NCRB records, reveals a study using judicial data.
Indian Express has a good read on what PM Modi’s visit to the RSS headquarters means for BJP-Sangh ties.

Three things to see

One: Protests against Tesla went global over the weekend—with more than 200 organised in front of Tesla showrooms worldwide—from Australia to Europe. The protesters had three asks: “don’t buy a Tesla, sell your Tesla stock and join the ‘Tesla Takedown’ movement.” This Guardian video report shows clips from the global protests. You can see a demonstration in Manhattan below. (The Guardian)

Two: A rocket launched by the private European company Isar Aerospace crashed within 30 seconds after launch—off the shores of Norway. But, but, but: Isar is still calling it a win because the sole aim of this test flight was to test the rocket’s launch capabilities. See the lift-off and crash below. (Associated Press)

Three: One of Putin’s luxury limos—part of his “official car fleet”—caught fire and exploded near the Federal Security Service (FSB) headquarters in Moscow. Passengers in the car escaped and were unharmed. The reason for the fire remains unknown. (Indian Express)