As excitement grows for Empuraan, cinematographer Sujith Vasudev spilled the beans  on the film's making and what it was like to work with Mollywood superstar Mohanlal and filmmaker Prithviraj Sukumaran.

After the massive success of its first installment in 2019, the Prithviraj Sukumaran directorial L2: Empuraan is one of the highly anticipated movies of 2025. Apart from Mohanlal, the film also stars Tovino Thomas, Abhimanyu Singh, Indrajith Sukumaran, Manju Warrier among others. The film is expected to offer a gripping glimpse into Khureshi's past and showcase a power struggle within the political party.

Mohanlal's Magic on Screen:

In the exclusive interview, Sujith spoke of how he was often swept away watching Mohanlal perform, rather than focus as a technician behind a camera. "When you talk about Lalettan, you talk about his eyes," said Sujith. "Even when I am capturing his expressions as a cameraman, I find myself becoming an audience member. From those eyes, you know if he's crying, laughing, or angry. Mohanlal does not act only with his eyes. Mohanlal has the ability to become the character completely."

The award-winning cinematographer also stated that Mohanlal is a "director's actor" and noted his attention to detail while adhering to a director's vision. "Mohanlal feels it is his duty to respect the direction of a director," quipped Sujith, adding, "He is a maestro of expressions, and his performance in Empuraan will attract heavy applause in theaters."

Challenges Faced During Shooting:

Talking about the film's shoot, cinematographer Sujith revealed that it was no easy task. The movie has scenes shot in multiple countries, and in some cases, the scenes were partly filmed in one location and partially filmed in another location. That made maintaining lighting continuity difficult. "We had to wait for the right time to shoot, as different countries had different natural light, which was tough to deal with," Sujith stated.

The toughest conditions occurred in Leh, Ladakh, where they had to stop shooting for several days because of weather changes. Regardless of those challenges, the crew managed to finish the film in 140 days, well in advance of the planned 170-day shoot. The shoot was completed before the schedule without compromising on the quality.

Minimal VFX:

In contrast to many action films that heavily depend on VFX, Empuraan is shot differently. Sujith revealed that 80 percent of the scenes that look VFX-generated were filmed in real. "When Prithviraj was presented with a suggestion to use VFX over real fire and water, he chose to do it practically. We had to use VFX in a few places, but we didn't want it to look artificial. Even the helicopters in the film were real," Sujith explained.

Layers of Storytelling:

Beyond the action and standout performances in Empuraan, there is a depth in storytelling too, which reflects the mastery of screenwriter Murali Gopi. Even the shades of white in the costumes of political characters are designed to provide meaning beyond the plot and into character arcs and ideologies. "Politics is a key thematic element in Empuraan," Sujith stated adding, "Each political character wears white clothes but of different shades that hint at what their ideology is and what their position is at that time."

The layers in Empuraan are nuanced and in every single frame. He also pointed to Murali's writing in general and how much he conveys in a few words. 'He knows how to say a lot in few words,' Sujith said.

With Empuraan set for release on March 27, 2025, Sujith Vasudev is confident that the film will exceed expectations. "Even though it is a Malayalam film, Empuraan will be enjoyable for all audiences across India, regardless of language. It is a grand, intense, and meticulously crafted film," he said.

He also teased the film's opening scene, expressing his excitement: "There is one scene in Empuraan that excites me the most - the first shot. That moment, right after the director's card appears, is something I am waiting to witness with the audience."

Notably, L2: Empuraan will become the first-ever Malayalam film to be released in IMAX. Apart from Malayalam, the film will also be released in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Telugu languages.

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