17 cuts in L2 Empuraan over Gujarat Riots references amid controversy
Thiruvananthapuram: The Malayalam film L2 Empuraan, starring Mohanlal and directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, will undergo 17 cuts following controversy over its references to the 2002 Gujarat riots. The film's production team confirmed that a revised version would be released in theatres next week. The changes include the removal of riot-related violence, alteration of the antagonist's name from Baba Bajrangi, and muting of certain dialogues.
Producer Gokulam Gopalan stated that while the film had cleared censorship, the edits were being made to avoid hurting the sentiments of a section of the audience. Director Prithviraj Sukumaran has reportedly agreed to the modifications.
Despite becoming the first Malayalam film to cross ₹100 crore within two days of release, L2 Empuraan has drawn political criticism. While the BJP has not formally protested, its Kerala unit president, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, expressed disappointment and said he would not watch the movie. "A film should be viewed as cinema, not history. Any attempt to distort facts is bound to fail," he remarked.
BJP leader and former Union minister V Muraleedharan echoed this sentiment, while Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha's state general secretary K Ganesh called for an investigation into Prithviraj’s "foreign connections" and alleged "anti-national" themes in his films. The RSS, in its mouthpiece Organiser, criticised the film as a "divisive narrative disguised as cinema."
The Congress, however, defended the movie, accusing the BJP of intolerance. A senior Congress leader noted that the BJP welcomed films critical of Congress, such as The Accidental Prime Minister and Emergency, and questioned the party's selective outrage.
Kerala minister and CPM leader V Sivankutty said the 2002 riots were part of Indian history and could not be erased, stating, "Freedom of expression is fundamental to democracy, and any attempt to stifle it must be opposed."
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India proposes preferential trade agreement with Mexico to deal with high tariffs
New Delhi (PTI): India has proposed a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Mexico to help domestic exporters deal with the steep tariffs announced by the South American country, a top government official said on Monday.
Mexico has decided to impose steep import tariffs - ranging from about 5 per cent to as high as 50 per cent on a wide range of goods (about 1,463 tariff lines) from countries that do not have free trade agreements with Mexico, including India, China, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that India has engaged with the country on the issue.
"Technical level talks are on...The only fast way forward is to try to get a preferential trade agreement (PTA) because an FTA (free trade agreement) will take a lot of time. So we are trying to see what can be a good way forward," he told reporters here.
While in an FTA two trading partners either significantly reduce or eliminate import duties on maximum number of goods traded between them, in a PTA, duties are cut or removed on a limited number of products.
Trading partners of Mexico cannot file a compliant against the decision on imposing high tariffs as they are WTO (World Trade Organisation) compatible.
The duties are within their bound rates, he said, adding that their primary target was not India.
"We have proposed a PTA because its a WTO-compatible way forward... we can do a PTA and try to get concessions that are required for Indian supply chains and similarly offer them concessions where they have export interests in India," Agrawal said.
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Citing support for local production and correction of trade imbalances, Mexico has approved an increase in MFN (most favoured nation) import tariffs (5-50 per cent) with effect from January 1, 2026 on 1,455 tariff lines (or product categories) within the WTO framework, targeting non-FTA partners.
Preliminary estimates suggest that this affects India's around USD 2 billion exports to Mexico particularly -- automobile, two-wheelers, auto parts, textiles, iron and steel, plastics, leather and footwear.
The measure is also aimed at curbing Chinese imports.
India-Mexico merchandise trade totalled USD 8.74 billion in 2024, with exports USD 5.73 billion, imports USD 3.01 billion, and a trade surplus of USD 2.72 billion.
The government has been continuously and comprehensively assessing Mexico's tariff revisions since the issue emerged, engaging stakeholders, safeguarding the interests of Indian exporters, and pursuing constructive dialogue to ensure a stable trade environment benefiting businesses and consumers in both countries.
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Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Director General Ajay Sahai has said that Mexico's decision is a matter of concern, particularly for sectors like automobiles and auto components, machinery, electrical and electronics, organic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and plastics.
"Such steep duties will erode our competitiveness and risk, disrupting supply chains that have taken years to develop," Sahai said, adding that this development also underlines the little urgency for India and Mexico to fast-track a comprehensive trade agreement.
Domestic auto component manufacturers will face enhanced cost pressures with Mexico hiking duties on Indian imports, according to industry body ACMA.
