Abhimanyu Singh on L2: Empuraan controversy - 'We work in a flow, didn't expect repercussion'

The controversy surrounding his role in the March 27, 2025, film L2: Empuraan has finally shattered Abhimanyu Singh's silence. The Malayalam political-action epic, directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, was controversial due to its violent representation and the uncomfortable similarities between the character's name and real-life occurrences.

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Abhimanyu Singh defends artistic freedom

After the original name was thought to be a reference to Babu Bajrangi, a prisoner in the 2002 Gujarat riots, the character played by Abhimanyu was renamed Baldev, one of 24 voluntary cuts to the film.

Singh recently stated, "I think cinema should be viewed as cinema," in an interview with Filmgyan. The actor has played a lot of different roles and doing what the scene calls for is an actor's responsibility. Controversies, in terms of their occurrence, often go unnoticed. Since they operate in a continuous loop, they don't give much thought to the consequences. A few issues have surfaced, which he learnt about later. However, they had no intention of offending anyone's feelings.

He was just given his scenes and his lines, he continued, emphasising that his concentration was entirely on his art. The actor was completely preoccupied with the scene and his tasks.

Abhimanyu Singh on on-screen violence

Singh addressed criticism of the film's climax by saying that's the director's vision, how much violence he wants to show, and how much violence the story demands. This was in response to worries about the film's brutal violence and foul language. From one director to another and from one individual to another, the question lies entirely in the writer's perspective. Everything is predetermined by them; all the performer needs to do is do the lines.

Gulaal (2009), Goliyon Ki Rasleela: Ram-Leela (2013), Mom (2017), and Sooryavanshi (2021) are among Singh's infamous villainous portrayals. The actor usually chooses the role, rather than the other way around. He remarked this while discussing his career trajectory. He said that when they're ready, life-changing parts will appear. Pursuing them will be futile. All they have to do is pick the greatest parts that come their way and perform them. The actor always aims to do something new and unexpected, whether the role is comedic, dramatic, or negative. Singh aims to provide a unique perspective for every character he does, even if they're similar in nature.

L2: Empuraan triumphs despite controversy

In spite of all the backlash, L2: Empuraan has been a financial success, carrying on the success of Lucifer from 2019 and solidifying Abhimanyu Singh's position as one of the most interesting antagonists in the movies today.