The Income Tax Department has issued a notice to actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran following recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on the office of Gokulam Gopalan, the producer of L2: Empuraan. A report from TNIE indicates that the notice, emailed to Prithviraj on March 29, 2025, seeks clarification about his earnings from three films he acted in and co-produced in 2022. IT officials have clarified that this was an automated notice, triggered by routine tax assessments when discrepancies or questions arise, with a response due by April 29, 2025.
The probe centers on three 2022 films—Jana Gana Mana, Gold, and Kaduva—where Prithviraj starred and co-produced under his banner, Prithviraj Productions. Despite leading roles, he reportedly took no acting fees, opting instead for payments as a co-producer. The IT Department is now examining this income setup as part of standard verification.
Sources suggest he earned around ₹40 crore as a co-producer for these projects, a detail highlighted in a notice from the Kochi unit.
This isn’t Prithviraj’s first encounter with the IT Department. In 2022, his home and office were searched over alleged tax filing inconsistencies, with the investigation extending to his production company and other figures like producers Antony Perumbavoor, Listin Stephen, and Anto Joseph. The Hindu notes that the current notice is a follow-up to that earlier probe, unrelated to the L2: Empuraan controversy.
Meanwhile, on April 4, 2025, the ED raided Gokulam Gopalan’s properties, seizing ₹1.5 crore in cash amid allegations of foreign exchange violations tied to his chit fund company, though authorities insist this too is separate from the film’s issues.
The timing coincides with heightened attention on L2: Empuraan, released on March 27, 2025, starring Mohanlal, Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas, and Abhimanyu Singh. The film, directed by Prithviraj, has smashed box office records, crossing ₹250 crore worldwide and becoming Malayalam cinema’s highest-grossing film ever.
However, it faced backlash for scenes linked to the 2002 Gujarat riots in Prithviraj’s character Zayed Masood’s backstory, prompting voluntary edits by the makers, including cutting references, altering a name, and tweaking dialogues. Despite the controversy, the Kerala High Court rejected a plea to ban the film, and it continues its theatrical run with a re-censored version.
Adding to the narrative, Prithviraj’s mother, Mallika Sukumaran, defended her son, telling Mathrubhumi News, “He has done nothing wrong,” and affirming his intent to respond appropriately.
Prithviraj also debunked rumors of a ₹25 crore ED fine, calling them “false and defamatory” and announcing legal action against the claims. As L2: Empuraan dominates headlines, the IT notice adds another layer to the unfolding saga, though officials maintain it’s a routine matter, not a targeted move.