Thiruvananthapuram: Film Academy chairman and actor Premkumar said that he firmly believes artists and cultural practitioners should have unrestricted creative freedom. He was responding to media queries regarding the re-censorship of Empuraan.

"Creative freedom is an inherent right of an artist. Personally, I do not hold a favourable view of the censorship system. Mohanlal’s statement of regret is his personal choice," Premkumar remarked.

He further asserted that while governments may have interests in artistic expression, he does not support imposing restrictions or infringing on artistic freedom. "A film that was already approved by the Censor Board and released for screening has now faced objections. We all know the political inclinations of the Censor Board. Even those who are now opposing the film had once spoken in its favour after watching it. I don’t understand what suddenly provoked them—it could very well be political," he observed.

Premkumar dismissed claims that Kerala is an intolerant society. "Murali Gopy, the creator of the same film being discussed now, had earlier made Left Right Left, a movie that openly criticised the Communist movement. Yet, Kerala accepted it with tolerance. No one then demanded re-censorship or the removal of controversial scenes. It was viewed as an exercise of artistic freedom."

He expressed his concern over the increasing intolerance towards art. "Art should unite people and the world—it should never become a tool for division. Artists and their creations should not become vehicles of hatred and hostility. However, artists themselves must also exercise a sense of propriety in their work. There must be a sense of responsibility when creating art," Premkumar concluded.