Whereas Empuraan co-producer Gokulam Gopalan is dealing with Enforcement Directorate (ED) warmth, the blockbuster actioner’s director Prithviraj Sukumaran has acquired one more blow, along with the brewing controversy over the film’s content material, because the Revenue Tax (I-T) Division has issued a discover to the actor-filmmaker, looking for clarification concerning the remuneration he acquired from three movies he starred in throughout 2022. It might be recalled that Empuraan has been on the centre of a political storm ever since its launch as a consequence of components of its content material — notably the scenes set towards the backdrop of the 2002 Gujarat pogrom — which didn’t sit effectively with the right-wing.
Nonetheless, Prithviraj’s mom and legendary actor Mallika Sukumaran asserted that they weren’t afraid of any probe since he had not dedicated any wrongdoing. “My son has accomplished nothing flawed. We’re not afraid of any investigation,” she said throughout a dialog with Mathrubhumi Information.
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Served on March 29, the I-T discover has sought particulars concerning the remuneration Prithviraj acquired for his roles in director Dijo Jose Antony’s Jana Gana Mana, Alphonse Puthren’s Gold and Shaji Kailas’ Kaduva. Launched in 2022, all three movies had been collectively produced by Supriya Menon, the actor-filmmaker’s spouse, and Listin Stephen, below the banners of Prithviraj Productions and Magic Frames, respectively. Prithviraj is anticipated to answer the discover by April 29.
It’s value noting that again in 2022, the I-T Division reportedly carried out searches at Prithviraj’s home and workplace over discrepancies in his tax filings. As this was a part of a broader investigation into the Malayalam movie business, based on The Information Minute, related searches had been carried out throughout Kerala and Tamil Nadu, together with on the residences and places of work of famend movie producers comparable to Antony Perumbavoor, Anto Joseph and Listin Stephen.
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Regardless of being embroiled in controversies, Empuraan has turn into the highest-grossing Malayalam movie ever, incomes Rs 241.65 crore worldwide, thus dethroning Chidambaram’s sensational 2024 survival thriller Manjummel Boys (Rs 240.5 crore). That includes Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Manju Warrier, Abhimanyu Singh, Tovino Thomas, Andrea Tivadar, Jerome Flynn and Indrajith Sukumaran in key roles, Empuraan serves because the second installment in a deliberate trilogy that started with Prithviraj’s directorial debut Lucifer (2019).
