New Delhi: A day after the Enforcement Directorate carried out searches at premises linked to the producer of the film L2: Empuraan, the film’s director Prithviraj Sukumaran has reportedly received a notice from the Income Tax Department.The Malayalam language film, starring Mohanlal, has been criticised by Hindutva commentators and politicians over its portrayal of the 2002 Gujarat riots. Its makers eventually conceded to making cuts to the already released film, changing a name which sounded similar to Gujarat riots convict Babu Bajrangi and removing a text card that said the year of the violence depicted in the film was 2002.On April 4, the ED carried out searches in Kerala and Tamil Nadu at premises linked to businessman Gokulam Gopalan, the producer.Indian Express quoted unnamed ED sources as having said that the searches are “in (connection with) a FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management Act) case involving Gopalan and his company Sree Gokulam Chit and Finance Co Ltd”.“Currently, five premises are covered (under the raids),” the ED officers said, according to the report.The case relates to alleged violations of various FEMA provisions worth Rs 1,000 crore with NRIs and other unauthorised transactions, and other PMLA allegations, they are quoted as having said.A day later, on April 5 (today), actor and filmmaker Prithviraj Sukumaran has reportedly received a notice from the Income Tax (I-T) Department, seeking clarification regarding his earnings from three films released in 2022 — Jana Gana Mana, Gold, and Kaduva, The News Minute reported.The notice was served on March 29, just after L2: Empuraan film was released. Prithviraj has till April 29 to respond.The TNM report says that the IT department seeks to investigate Prithviraj’s role as co-producer in these films, for acting roles in which he did not take payment. “The notice is said to be part of a broader investigation launched by the I-T department in December 2022 into the Malayalam film industry,” the report said.
