'Empuraan’ director, Prithviraj Sukumaran, reveals the Rajinikanth incident that inspired a goosebumps Lucifer’ scene!

As the expectations are sky-high for the upcoming film ‘L2: Empuraan,’ the director Prithviraj Sukumaran recently revealed an interesting trivia about the first part of the Mohanlal starrer. In an interview, the actor-director revealed that the intro sequence, in which Mohanlal’s Stephen Nedumpally walks through a massive crowd after being stopped by the police, was inspired by an incident involving Superstar Rajinikanth.


In a recent interview with Behindwoods, Prithviraj recalled reading about an incident where Rajinikanth’s car was stopped by police to make way for then-Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa’s motorcade. The superstar reportedly inquired about the delay and then, instead of waiting in his car, chose to step out and walk. His presence immediately attracted a large crowd, making it even harder for the police to control the situation. Some reports claim Rajini walked home, while others suggest he casually bought cigarettes from a nearby shop.


Though Prithviraj admitted he wasn’t sure of the exact details, he found the story compelling enough to adapt it into Lucifer. The scene in question, where Stephen Nedumpally walks towards the funeral venue of Kerala CM PK Ramdas despite roadblocks, became one of the most iconic and goosebumps-worthy moments in the film.

Adding to the Rajinikanth connection, Prithviraj also revealed that the Tamil superstar was among the first to watch the Empuraan trailer ahead of its theatrical release on March 27, 2025. Prithviraj recently shared a snap with Thalaivar and penned a note that read, “The very first person to watch the trailer of #L2E #EMPURAAN I will forever cherish what you said after watching it, Sir! This meant the world to me! Fanboy forever! @rajinikanth #OGSuperstar.”

Meanwhile, recently the makers shared the trailer for ‘L2: Empuraan,’ which is getting much adulation from the audiences and has indeed soared the hype for the action thriller movie even more.