KOCHI: Following recent Enforcement Directorate raids at the office of Empuraan producer Gokulam Gopalan, the Income Tax Department has issued a notice to actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran, director of the film at the centre of controversy. The notice seeks clarification on Prithviraj's earnings from three 2022 films he acted in and co-produced: Jana Gana Mana, Gold and Kadavu.
According to IT officials, the notice was system-generated—automatically triggered when discrepancies or queries are identified during routine income tax assessments. The notice was issued via email on March 29, and Prithviraj has been asked to provide his explanation by April 29.
Reportedly, while Prithviraj played leading roles in all three films, he did not claim any remuneration for acting. Instead, he received payments only in his capacity as a co-producer. The IT Department is now seeking clarification on this income structure as part of standard verification procedures.
In 2022, the IT Department had also searched Prithviraj’s house and office over discrepancies in his tax filings. The investigation extended to his production company and other associated entities. Similar probes were also carried out against prominent producers Antony Perumbavoor, Listin Stephen, and Anto Joseph.
This development comes at a time when Prithviraj is in the spotlight for his latest directorial venture Empuraan, in which he also plays a key role.
The film, starring Mohanlal, recently faced backlash from BJP activists in Kerala over certain scenes deemed controversial. Following the protests, several scenes were reportedly trimmed later.