Amid the massive row surrounding his latest movie L2 Empuraan, superstar Mohanlal has issued an apology and said he “regrets the pain caused” to his loved fans. The actor added that the movie’s production team had decided to remove some mentions in the movie, which has sparked an uproar over some references to the Gujarat riots. Actor-filmmaker Prithviraj Sukumaran, who has directed the movie, has shared Mohanlal’s Facebook post.

“I have learnt that some of the political-social themes that have emerged in the expression of the movie ‘Empuraan’, the second part of the ‘Lucifer’ franchise, have caused a lot of disappointment to many of my lovers. As an artist, it is my duty to ensure that none of my movies harbours hatred towards any political movement, idea or religion,” Mohanlal said in the post.

“Therefore, I and the Empuraan team sincerely regret the mental pain caused to my loved ones, and with the realisation that the responsibility lies with all of us who worked behind the film, we have decided together to compulsorily remove such parts from the movie,” he added.

“I have lived my cinematic life as one of you for the last four decades. Your love and faith are my only strength. I believe Mohanlal is not greater than that,” the 64-year-old actor said.

Earlier, the film’s producer Gokulam Gopalan had said the production team had decided on 17 cuts in the movie and its new version will release in theatres next week. Some scenes depicting violence against women and riots would be cut, the name of the antagonist Baba Bajrangi will be changed and certain dialogues will be muted, it is learnt.

Mr Gopalan had earlier said the film had cleared the Censor but the cuts would be made so that the sentiments of a section of people would not be hurt.

The film is drawing huge crowds and has crossed the Rs 100-crore milestone at the box office globally in just two days.

Its references to the Gujarat riots have sparked a massive political row, with social media users hitting out at Mohanlal and Prithviraj.

The BJP has not launched a protest against the movie, but state party chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said he was disappointed and that he would not watch it.

“A movie should be watched as a movie. it can’t be seen as history. Also, any movie that tries to build a story by distorting the truth is doomed to fail. So, will I watch this sequel to Lucifer? No. Am I disappointed by this type of moviemaking? – Yes,” he said.

K Ganesh, state general secretary of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, hit out at Prithviraj and demanded an investigation into his alleged “foreign connections”. He said Prithviraj’s moves follow an ‘anti-national’ pattern”.

The BJP’s ideological parent RSS published in its mouthpiece Organiser an article criticising L2 Empuraan as a “disturbing, divisive tale disguised as cinema”.

The Congress, on the other hand, backed the movie and said the criticism showed the “intolerance” of Sangh Parivar. He said movies such as ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’ and ‘Emergency’ were critical of the Congress Party, but the BJP had welcomed them. Movies, the Congress veteran said, always discuss politics. “That will be favourable for a section and against some others. These are all part of freedom of expression. The BJP should introspect whether it is right to show intolerance only when they are criticised,” he told reporters.

Senior CPM leader and Kerala minister V Sivankutty said the 2002 riots were part of Indian history and generations would know about it even if “scissors are used” to cut scenes. “Freedom of expression is the cornerstone of democracy. Any action to prevent it should be opposed,” he said.

A Chinese-backed construction firm is being investigated over the collapse of a 33-storey high-rise in Thailand’s Bangkok during Friday’s 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck central Myanmar. The unfinished building crumbled in seconds, sending a cloud of dust and debris into the air and trapping dozens under the rubble.

According to news agency AFP, as of Sunday, 17 deaths have been confirmed, with 32 injured and 83 still unaccounted for – most of them construction workers from the site of the collapsed building. Search and rescue teams continue working under intense heat to locate possible survivors. Thermal imaging drones have detected at least 15 people who may still be alive. Eight bodies have been pulled from the debris so far.

Despite Bangkok’s skyline being filled with high-rise buildings under construction, no other projects suffered similar destruction. Experts and officials are now questioning the structural integrity of the collapsed building, which belonged to Thailand’s State Audit Office (SAO) and had been under construction for three years at a reported cost of over two billion baht (45 million pounds).

Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered an urgent investigation, giving an expert panel seven days to determine the cause of the collapse.

According to a report by the UK’s Telegraph, the SAO building was a joint venture between Italian-Thai Development Plc (ITD) and China Railway Number 10 (Thailand) Ltd. The latter is a subsidiary of China Railway Number 10 Engineering Group Company, which holds a 49 per cent stake – the maximum foreign ownership allowed under Thai law.

China Railway Number 10 Thailand, established in 2018, has operated as a contractor for large infrastructure projects, including office buildings, railways, and public roads, the report claimed. The company reported a net loss of 199.66 million baht in 2023, with revenue of 206.25 million baht and expenses of 354.95 million baht.

Its Thai shareholders include: Sophon Meechai (40.80%), who also holds stakes in five other companies; Prachuab Sirikhet (10.20%), with investments in six companies; Manas Sri-anant (less than 1%), who holds shares in ten other firms.

Beyond Bangkok, the earthquake caused devastation across Myanmar, where over 1,600 people have been confirmed dead, and thousands more injured. The tremors, which originated northwest of Sagaing, demolished buildings and infrastructure across Mandalay, one of Myanmar’s largest cities.

Myanmar’s junta leader, Min Aung Hlaing, issued a rare international plea for aid, a stark departure from the regime’s usual stance of rejecting foreign assistance. The country has declared a state of emergency across six regions, and hospitals are overwhelmed with casualties.

In Thailand, the earthquake forced the evacuation of hospitals and office towers. Even in areas where buildings remained standing, footage captured rooftop swimming pools spilling their water down high-rises as the tremors rippled through the city.

The CSK icon’s reluctance to bat higher up the order is confusing both fans, experts