Action director Stunt Silva opened up about his experience working on the Malayalam film L2: Empuraan. The sequel to the 2019 movie Lucifer, directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran and featuring megastar Mohanlal, is generating a lot of anticipation among fans. With the film slated to be released on March 27, Silva spoke with ETV Bharat recently about the action sequences, production scale, and his particular bond with Prithviraj.

Stunt Silva Reflects On Lucifer's Success And Empuraan's Expectations

Lucifer marked Prithviraj's directorial debut and became one of the biggest commercial successes in the industry. With L2: Empuraan, expectations have increased, and Silva emphasised the pressure this has had on everyone involved. "The success of Lucifer has put an enormous responsibility on Empuraan," he said.

Having choreographed the action sequences for Lucifer, Silva did not anticipate the film's monumental impact on Malayalam cinema. "I never imagined Lucifer would change the face of Malayalam cinema," he said. "Neither did Prithviraj sir or Murali Gopy sir. For me, it was just another film where I had the privilege to work with two powerhouses - Mohanlal and Prithviraj. But after its release, everything changed."

Designing Action for a Megastar

Silva also worked on the Telugu remake of Lucifer, titled Godfather, starring Chiranjeevi. Comparing the two, he explained how the action was tailored to suit the respective stars. "If I had choreographed Chiranjeevi sir's action scenes the same way as Mohanlal's, it wouldn't have worked. Telugu audiences expect more grandeur, while Malayalam audiences appreciate realism," he clarified.

When it comes to creating action sequences for Mohanlal, Silva says the key is to understand and respect his screen persona. "To design action for Mohanlal sir, you must first become his fan," he revealed. "Each actor has a unique style. For instance, Chiranjeevi sir has a more mass-oriented approach, while Mohanlal sir's fights are refined and classy. You can't apply the same style across the board."

Silva Praises Prithviraj

He went on to describe Prithviraj's collaborative nature on set. "Even though it's his vision, if anyone, even a production assistant offers a valuable suggestion, he listens. That's the kind of filmmaker he is," Silva added.

Silva holds immense admiration for Prithviraj's vision and hands-on approach. "People say Prithviraj and I share a close bond - that's because we understand each other perfectly," he said. "As a director, his understanding of action is unique. He doesn't just think about the concept; he envisions the entire visual. My job is to turn his imagination into reality."

Distinctive Fighting Styles

Mohanlal reprises his dual personas of Stephen Nedumpally and Abram Qureshi in L2: Empuraan and Silva highlighted the effort put into distinguishing their fighting styles. "There's no similarity between how Stephen and Abram fight," he explained. "Stephen's style is rugged and grounded, while Abram's approach is more calculated and refined."

He praised Mohanlal's dedication and precision, sharing an anecdote from the set. "No matter how complex the choreography is, Mohanlal sir picks it up effortlessly. We never had to reshoot due to a mistake on his part. If something went wrong - whether it was a technical issue or an error from another fighter - he would take the blame to maintain harmony on set," Silva recalled.

A War-Like Spectacle Awaits

One of the most exciting revelations from Silva was about the sheer intensity of the action sequences in L2: Empuraan. "The entire film carries a war-like atmosphere," he said. "There's no division between class and mass fights - the whole movie is packed with explosive action from start to finish."

Silva also shared how one of his long-standing desires came true in this film. "When we were working on Lucifer, I told Prithviraj that I wanted to choreograph a scene where he and Mohanlal fight side by side. At the time, he said there was no scope for it in Lucifer, but promised it would happen in Empuraan. And he kept his word," Silva revealed.

100 Days of Action

Silva stated that he spent 100 days choreographing action for L2: Empuraan. "It may seem like the entire film is just action, and in a way, it is. The action mood never drops," he said, drawing a comparison to the classic Rajinikanth film Baashha, which left audiences feeling like action permeated every frame.

As the countdown to L2: Empuraan's release begins, the excitement is real. The film is the first Malayalam movie to be released in IMAX, and ticket bookings have already broken records.

Empuraan's International Action Scale

The scale of L2: Empuraan is unprecedented in Malayalam cinema, with action scenes filmed across multiple countries, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, Ladakh, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, London, the USA, and Russia. Silva highlighted the logistical challenges of choreographing and shooting action across these diverse locations.

"It's a massive challenge to execute action in so many countries," he said. "The explosions, from helicopters to containers, are all real, done with proper permissions and top-tier special effects. We brought in a large team from Mumbai to ensure the quality matched the most expensive Indian films."

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