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.

The post Commie Propagandist Filmmaker Prithviraj Sukumaran Served Income Tax Notice For Clarification On His Earnings appeared first on The Commune.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its investigation into businessman and film producer Gokulam Gopalan, questioning him for a second consecutive day on Saturday in connection with alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and money laundering involving over ₹1000 crores.

The raids, which began on April 4, targeted multiple premises associated with Gopalan’s business empire, including the Kodambakkam headquarters of Gokulam Chit Funds and Finance in Chennai, his residence in Neelankarai, and properties in Coimbatore and Kozhikode, Kerala. Gopalan, who was in Kozhikode at the time, was summoned to Chennai and interrogated until the early hours of Saturday. Sources confirmed that questioning would continue later in the day.

The ED concluded its search operations at the Kodambakkam office early Saturday morning, seizing approximately ₹1.5 crore in cash along with several incriminating financial documents, according to reports. Preliminary findings suggest that Gokulam Chits and Finance may have illegally received foreign remittances, including funds from Non-Resident Indians, in violation of FEMA provisions. Broader financial dealings of the Gokulam Group are also under scrutiny, with the ED’s Kochi unit—supported by its Chennai counterpart—leading the investigation.

The probe, which stems from a case registered in 2022, comes at a time when Gopalan’s latest production, L2: Empuraan, finds itself at the center of a political and cultural storm. The film, directed by communist propagandist Prithviraj Sukumaran and starring Mohanlal, has been accused of portraying national investigative agencies like the NIA, IB, and ED in a negative light, and misrepresenting sensitive events such as the Gujarat riots.

The RSS-affiliated weekly Organiser published a harsh critique of the film, triggering widespread backlash from Hindu groups and BJP leaders. In response to the growing outrage, the film’s producers approached the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to voluntarily re-edit the film. Mohanlal also issued a public apology, stating, “We sincerely regret the distress caused and have decided to remove the objectionable content.”

Despite the edits, the film continues to face rejection from sections of the Hindu community. BJP Kerala President Rajeev Chandrasekhar, along with RSS leaders J. Nandakumar and A. Jayakumar, publicly criticized the film, with several pro-RSS digital platforms amplifying the call for a boycott.

CPI(M) leader and LDF convenor T.P. Ramakrishnan has claimed that the ED’s actions are politically motivated, linking the raids to the film’s controversial content. Speaking in Madurai, he described the enforcement action as an example of “political vendetta.”

As the ED’s investigation widens and political tensions mount, Empuraan remains a lightning rod in the ongoing debate over the interplay between cinema, ideology, and state power in India.

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The post Cash, Incriminating Docs Seized From Producer Of Propaganda Film ‘Empuraan’, ₹1000 Crores Foreign Exchange Violation Said To Be Behind Probe appeared first on The Commune.