Prithviraj Sukumaran has poured his heart and soul into L2: Empuraan, the highly anticipated sequel to his 2019 directorial debut, Lucifer. At a time when actors' fees often dominate a film’s budget, Prithviraj has taken a bold stand — ensuring that nearly every rupee is invested directly into the film’s production, rather than star salaries.
In a recent conversation with Pinkvilla, he emphasized that Empuraan isn’t the kind of project where ₹100 crore is budgeted, but ₹80 crore goes to actors' paychecks, leaving only ₹20 crore for the actual filmmaking. He made it clear that the focus is entirely on delivering a visually stunning, high-quality cinematic experience.
Prithviraj, who has taken on the roles of director, actor, and producer for the film, initially envisioned an ambitious, international cast for L2: Empuraan. He revealed that while creating his "dream wishlist" for casting, he reached out to several high-profile stars from the US, UK, and China — and to his surprise, many of them were interested in collaborating on an Indian project. However, when agents got involved, demanding hefty fees, he realized that kind of budget just wasn’t feasible for Malayalam cinema.
Despite this, L2: Empuraan managed to secure an impressive global cast, featuring Game of Thrones star Jerome Flynn, Eriq Ebouaney, and Andrea Tivadar in key roles. What stands out even more is that these actors agreed to participate without massive paychecks, showing faith in the project’s vision. Prithviraj noted that some of them even treated their roles as a gesture of goodwill toward the film.
The commitment to prioritizing the production is evident across the entire team. Mohanlal, reprising his role from Lucifer, reportedly refused to accept any payment for the film — a revelation he confirmed during the interview. Interestingly, he also disclosed that Prithviraj himself didn’t take a single rupee for directing or acting in the film. According to Mohanlal, "Whatever money we spent will be seen on the screen."
Prithviraj further shared a similar experience from his Bollywood production, Selfiee (2023), starring Akshay Kumar. He revealed that Akshay didn’t charge his usual fees for the movie, instead agreeing to take a share of the profits if the film succeeded. Sadly, when the movie underperformed, Akshay stuck to his word and didn’t take a penny — a gesture Prithviraj deeply respects.
With an unwavering commitment from the cast and crew, L2: Empuraan is shaping up to be a spectacle driven by passion and artistic integrity, rather than star power and inflated salaries. The film is slated for a March 27, 2025 theatrical release, and with this level of dedication behind it, expectations are soaring sky-high.
