Although controversies and right-wing-led hate campaigns could not prevent actor Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Mohanlal-starrer L2: Empuraan from becoming a blockbuster, the action thriller dominated headlines for a fortnight across the nation. The row, which erupted over its content, particularly the scenes set against the backdrop of the 2002 Gujarat riots, grew so intense that Mohanlal issued an apology for the “emotional distress” caused by the film’s “political and social themes.” Amid all the clamour, the deafening silence of major film bodies in the state — particularly the Kerala Film Producers’ Association (KFPA) and the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) — did not go unnoticed. What raised many eyebrows was that this followed the organisations’ back-to-back media appearances and announcement of a strike starting June 1, citing significant financial losses faced by producers and distributors. The silence stood out even more considering that the KFPA, since the beginning of the year, had been holding monthly press conferences to release reports detailing the budgets and theatrical revenues of newly released Malayalam films. The Film Employees Federation of …