L2: Empuraan delivers on action, scale and spectacle

Superstar Mohanlal makes his entry well into an hour of L2: Empuraan, sending the audience into hysteria.

He emerges as Khureshi Ab’raam introduced to us at the end of Lucifer, the first instalment of the trilogy, different from Stephen Nedumpally, a man we have known and loved.

Set five years after Lucifer, actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran presents Khureshi, a global kingpin fighting the narcotics trade and human trafficking in a slick, Hollywood-style format. The film is grand both in scale and execution.

Stephen battles divisive politics in his home state of Kerala, where his brother and current Chief Minister Jathin Ramdas (Tovino Thomas) forms his own break-out party from his father PK Ramdas’ IUF. His new BFF is Baba Bajrangi, of the right-wing Akhanda Shakti Morcha. This new alignment is the beginning of communal politics in the state and threatens the existence of IUF.

But before we get into the “politics of it”, we navigate a geopolitical labyrinth—the film begins with an explosion in a ghost town in Iraq, weaving its way through London, Senegal, Turkey, and Yemen often returning to Nedumpally in Kerala in between.

With an African cartel, an MI6 double agent, and a generous mix of Hindi and English, it's clear that the director isn’t just aiming for a pan-India reach but has his sights set on a global audience.

But who is Khureshi Ab’raam? And what ties him to Zayed Masood (Prithviraj Sukumaran), the enigmatic character introduced in the latter half of Lucifer? The answers lie in a chilling backstory that rewinds to 2002 and the rise of Baba Bajrangi, a hardline right-wing leader whose ambitions now extend to Kerala, setting the stage for an explosive confrontation.

In between all this, Priyadarshini Ramdas (Manju Warrier) comes into her own. The indecisive Priya, content to lurk in her father’s and later, her brother’s shadow is long gone. In her place stands a formidable political leader—strong, decisive, and commanding the masses with conviction.

Indrajith reprises his role as Govardhan, the vlogger, but fails to leave the same impact he did in Lucifer.

While the first half, like most Malayalam films, focuses on establishing character arcs and setting up the story, the second half shifts into high gear with a gripping narrative.

In the end, it’s all about revenge—for both Kureshi and Zayed—and their path to it unfolds over three hours of high-octane action, interspersed with striking visuals, intense drama, and bursts of raw emotion. There are a few scenes that offer breathtaking action, one set in the middle of a forest, and the other, that gets them their revenge.

Mohanlal excels as the sleek, polished Khureshi wielding guns and also as the naadan (local) Stephen determined not to let his state fall into communal hands.

As Empuraan’s director, Prithviraj commands both respect and admiration for the sheer ambition of blending scale and storytelling, one which Malayalam cinema has rarely seen before. The script, however, leaves room for improvement, often leaving you wondering if Lucifer set a better benchmark for its tighter narrative. Fans might not like the late entry either, or the slow pace of the first half.

As the end credits roll, the KA (Khureshi Ab’raam) nexus faces a formidable new adversary and hints at the next chapter's shift in geopolitical setting. And at last, the mystery surrounding the shadowy figure teased in posters and trailers is unveiled!

For all the hype before its release, is Empuraan worth it? For fans of “mass movies” and of Mohanlal, this is a must-watch. For everyone else, please sit back and revel in the grandeur and scale.