The much-anticipated film L2: Empuraan, directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran and starring Mohanlal, is gearing up for release on March 27, 2025. In a recent press meet in Hyderabad, it was revealed that both the director and the leading actor haven’t taken any remuneration for their roles in the film.
Prithviraj confirmed that L2: Empuraan was shot over 143 working days. During the meet, he shared that neither he nor Mohanlal took any money for their involvement in the project.
"The film does not follow the usual norm where a large chunk of the budget goes to the actors’ remuneration," Prithviraj explained in an interview with Pinkvilla.
"Every little penny I have, I wanted to put it into the making of Empuraan," he added, emphasising that the focus was entirely on the production quality.
Mohanlal, who also participated in the press meet, agreed with Prithviraj's sentiment, stating, “I haven’t taken a single rupee for the film,” and further confirmed that all the resources were directed towards creating the best cinematic experience for the audience.
“All of us, the technicians, and the actors, knew we were attempting something different, and we all pitched in. Even the foreign actors understood. People like Jerome, Andrea acted in Empuraan as a favour,” Prithviraj said.
In his conversation with Pinkvilla, Prithviraj also mentioned that he had initially reached out to some big names from international cinema, including actors from the US, UK, and China. However, when the agents got involved, the financial demands made it difficult to secure them for the film. “That doesn’t work for Malayalam cinema,” he said.
Despite these challenges, L2: Empuraan still managed to gather an impressive ensemble of eminent actors.
Prithviraj also compared Mohanlal's selfless approach to Akshay Kumar’s gesture in Selfiee, where Kumar chose not to take any money for his role, opting instead to take a share of the profits if the film succeeded. Selfiee did not perform well at the box office, so Kumar did not take any remuneration.
Film industry tracker AB George recently tweeted that L2: Empuraan has already crossed Rs 10 crore in pre-sale collections, surpassing the pre-sales of Leo.
As fans eagerly await the sequel to the 2019 hit Lucifer, L2: Empuraan promises to be a unique cinematic experience, with Prithviraj and Mohanlal leading the charge without any personal financial gain, setting a new model in the Indian film industry.