Lucifer: Why you should watch Mohanlal-Prithviraj's film in theatres before Empuraan release

Prithviraj Sukumaran and Mohanlal are gearing up for the release of L2 Empuraan in theatres on March 27, 2025. The highly anticipated Malayalam film is the second installment in a three-part film franchise by director Prithviraj with Mohanlal–starrer Lucifer being the first part. Before the big release of L2 Empuraan, the makers are bringing the 2019 film Lucifer back to theatres and here are a bunch of reasons as to why you should watch the Mohanlal-starrer in theatres once again on March 20, 2025, and relive the experience...  

Lucifer re-release: Why watch Mohanlal-starrer in theatres

First part of Lucifer trilogy

Prithviraj Sukumaran’s debut directorial film Lucifer hit theatres in 2019, while the second part is releasing in March 2025 after a gap of six years. As Empuraan picks up from where Lucifer ended, it is definitely time to brush up your memory to recollect the events that transpired in the 2019 film. Lucifer begins with the death of a high-profile political leader, PK Ramdas, and the subsequent power struggle, involving his party members, family and other politicians. Amid this chaos, a man named Stephen Nedumpally (Mohanlal) steps in. The Malayalam movie, which starts off as a political thriller, soon takes on a more complex path as more characters and plot twists are introduced.  

Also read - Prithviraj Sukumaran on L2 Empuraan: Don’t know if it’s the Lucifer sequel people expect 

Origin story of Stephen Nedumpally, Zayed Masood

As Lucifer progresses and Stephen faces opposition from various quarters, another ally, Zayed Masood (Prithviraj Sukumaran), enters the picture who will go to any extent for him. Lucifer ended with Stephen Nedumpally revealing himself to be Khureshi Ab’raam, a powerful figure who is tracked even by Interpol. Empuraan is set to delve more into the life of Stephen aka Khureshi Ab’raam and the complex world he rules over. The second installemt will also shed light on Zayed Masood’s back story. So, Lucifer serves as the origin story of Stephen Nedumpally and Zayed Masood.

Tovino Thomas, Indrajith Sukumaran take the plot forward

Lucifter attempts to portray the political landscape in Kerala. Towards the Lucifer ending, Tovino Thomas' character Jathin Ramdas gets elected as the new Chief Minister, putting an end to the power struggle that started all the chaos in the film. His character is key to the proceedings and will be returning in Empuraan as well. Another key character from Lucifer is Govardhan (Indrajith Sukumaran) who seeks to bring out the truth behind Stephen aka Khureshi and even terms him 'Lucifer' in the first part.

Manju Warrier too stands tall as her Priyadarshini (sister of Jathin) faces many trials and tribulations. Not just them, several other characters from Lucifer played by Saikumar, Baiju Santhosh, Fazil, Sachin Khedekar, and Nyla Usha, will be returning in Empuraan. And watching Lucifer is key to understanding their roles in this tale of brotherhood and betrayal.

Mohanlal’s mass scenes, punch dialogues

Mohanlal is truly in his element in Lucifer as he fully embodies the character of Stephen Nedumpally. The white-mundu-clad Mohanlal takes on the mass avatar, plays it to the hilt, which warrants a theatre watch.  

Prithviraj, a self-confessed Lalettan fan, has ensured enough and more scenes that celebrate The Complete Actor from Malayalam. Lucifer has several whistle-worthy moments as Stephen flexes his muscles, such as the scene when a policeman dares to harm a child. The theatres had roared with crowd’s appreciation as Stephen locked the cop onto the wall, a scene that still does the rounds on social media. Or when he admonishes Sai Kumar’s Mahesh Varma with ‘thante thantha alla ente thantha’. An English translation will not do justice to this punch dialogue, which is just one among the several others from the Mohanlal-starrer, written by Murali Gopy. 

Prithviraj’s slick direction

Prithviraj Sukumaran and writer Murali Gopi ensured that the movie stayed one step ahead of its viewers, by introducing plot twists at almost every juncture. This is one director who has a clear vision about his movie and ensures that the final product fully meets it. The 2019 film is also well-made and shines with its technically brilliant production values. Sujith Vaassudev’s slick cinematography and Deepak Dev’s stellar background score too elevate the overall cinematic experience. 

Also read - L2 Empuraan: Mohanlal teases what to expect from the third part of Prithviraj Sukumaran's Lucifer franchise