2 weeks Ago By TNM Staff
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 — , , and . The notice, served on March 29, comes just days after the release of , a film directed by Prithviraj and starring superstar Mohanlal, and amid controversy over its portrayal of the 2002 Gujarat riots and the Hindutva right-wing’s role in perpetrating it. The actor has been given until April 29 to respond.
According to reports, the notice pertains to Prithviraj’s role as co-producer of the three films released under the banner of his production house, Prithviraj Productions. It is reported that he did not take any payment for his acting roles in these projects as he had a share in the profits. 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.
At the time, multiple raids were conducted across Kerala and Tamil Nadu, including at the residences and offices of prominent producers such as Antony Perumbavoor, Anto Joseph, and Listin Stephen, as well as Prithviraj. Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted fresh raids on April 4 at the offices and residence of Gokulam Gopalan, one of the producers of . The searches are still underway at the Gokulam Chit Funds headquarters in Kodambakkam and at Gopalan’s residence in Neelankarai, Chennai.
Officials from the ED’s Kochi zone are overseeing the operation, though further details are yet to be disclosed. has stirred a political storm with scenes that closely mirror the 2002 Gujarat riots. Although the film carries a disclaimer stating that all characters and events are fictional, right-wing groups, including some from actor Mohanlal’s fanbase, have accused the filmmakers of targeting the BJP and the RSS.
In response to the backlash, the production team opted to voluntarily edit out parts of the film. The most significant change involved renaming the antagonist — originally called Balraj Patel, a name many saw as an allusion to Babu Bajrangi, a convict in the Gujarat riots — to Baldev. A card stating “2002 - India,” precisely dating the year in which the violence took place, was also replaced to say “A few years ago.
” In total, the filmmakers made 24 voluntary cuts, removing approximately 2 minutes and 8 seconds of footage..
