Thiruvananthapuram, March 31 -- Amid Right-wing backlash against Malayalam film 'Empuraan' for its apparent references to the 2002 Gujarat riot, Kerala Culture Minister Saji Cherian, on Monday, watched the film and expressed solidarity with the makers.

The Minister praised the director of the movie, Prithviraj, for his courage to make the film.

"I would like to appreciate Prithviraj for showing the courage to make a film like this. A different film from the ones released in Kerala so far. A film that is at par with world cinema. Many social issues are reflected in the film. This is a film that the people of our country should watch," Cherian told reporters after watching the film.

He said that the film espouses the idea of unity.

"Man...