Empuran the controversial blockbuster directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran had to go through 24 voluntary cuts following some criticism from different sects off society towards its depiction of certain scenes of violence in the film. It had to change the name of Abhimanyu Singh’s antagonist character Balraj Bajrangi to Baldev because the initial name was perceived as an allusion to Babu Bajrangi, one of the convicts in the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Now, Abhimanyu has shared his views about these changes. “I think cinema should be viewed as cinema. I’ve done various characters. The duty of an actor is to do what the scene demands. As far as controversies are concerned, they happen, and one doesn’t realise it. We don’t focus on the repercussions because we work in a flow. I got to know later that a few issues have cropped up. But we didn’t intend to hurt anyone’s sentiments,” said Abhimanyu. “I was just given my scenes and my lines. My entire focus was on what the scene is and I have to do,” he added in the interview with Filmgyan.
