L2: Empuraan- "Full of sound and fury, signifying...?"

The immense buzz surrounding the release of L2: Empuraan drove many naive viewers to multiplexes on premiere day, setting aside all other commitments, believing they were about to witness something unprecedented in a Malayalam movie. However, they soon realized that the film's impact had more to do with promotions than the actual content—thanks to the business acumen of Prithviraj Sukumaran.

The movie will undoubtedly set box office collection records, given its worldwide release with thousands of shows per day and non-refundable tickets. Many will fall prey to the mastermind behind this grand marketing strategy. Had it relied solely on word-of-mouth publicity, the verdict might have been far more interesting.

Visually, the movie is indeed a treat to watch, with unmatched technical brilliance and cinematography in the history of Malayalam cinema. However, it becomes evident that it is weighed down by a weak script, a subpar background score, and an overemphasis on action sequences. The businessman in the director clearly understands that violence sells, though he has sugarcoated it to steer clear of an "A" certification.

There is no denying that one of Kerala's finest actors has done justice to his character with his commanding screen presence. However, Stephen remains more appealing to him than Khureshi Abr'aam—perhaps because portraying the head of a global think tank is a challenge even for the best actors in Hollywood.

Prithviraj's bravery must be praised, as he spares no political parties, stripping them to their core and exposing their lack of principles—and he is right on the money.

However, the sense of connection that Lucifer created with the audience is noticeably absent in Empuraan. It does not touch the sentiments of most viewers, as evidenced by the cold response at the end of the first-day show in a packed house.

For a "part-time director" (as he calls himself), this is a magical thriller, proving once again that he is second to none in direction. But in his attempt to raise the bar to Hollywood standards, he has overlooked one essential element—the Malayali-ness that made Lucifer stand apart.