L2 Empuraan: ED raids on Chennai office of producer Gokulam Gopalan

Empuraan producer Gokulam Gopalan ED raids

The Enforcement Department on Friday, i.e, April 4th, raided the offices of the film producer and renowned businessman Gokulam Gopalan in Kochi and Chennai as part of the ongoing controversy surrounding the film L2 Empuraan.

As a part of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) case, Gopalan’s office has been raided and is facing scrutiny for a prominent chit fund with multiple operations across the states.

The story behind the controversy

L2 Empuraan, directed by Prithviraj starring Mohanlal, was caught up in a big controversy within the week of its release and has been criticized and is facing a lot of controversy over the depiction of the 2002 Gujarat riots in the film.

What is the issue with Empuraan?

A petition has been filed before the Kerala High Court seeking an immediate ban on the Malayalam film Empuraan: L2. Empuran, which is the sequel to the movie Lucifer, has drawn controversy over scenes alluding to the 2002 Godhra riots and the similarities between the primary antagonist and a Bajrang Dal leader

The makers voluntarily went for re-censoring, and the censor board suggested 24 cuts, including the deletion of two minutes of footage. The re-edited version of Mohanlal's Empuraan graced the screens since April 1.

The film is facing many protests from right-wing groups, accusing it of vilifying the Hindus so much that it led the filmmakers to remove certain scenes from the film and mute certain scenes.

Gopalan and his business

Gopalan is not just a film producer but also has many sectors, including health care, education, hospitality, media, and logistics. His chit fund company, Sree Gokulam Chits, has been the centre of controversy before as well. The Income Tax Department also accused him of concealing over Rs1,100 crores, including bad debts and interests.