Chennai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will continue questioning Gokulam Gopalan, producer of the controversial Malayalam film L2: Empuraan, for the second-consecutive day Saturday.
The ED began its raids April 4, targeting multiple locations linked to Gopalan and his business empire.
These included the headquarters of Gokulam Chit Funds and Finance in Kodambakkam, Chennai; Gopalan’s residence in Neelankarai; and additional premises in Coimbatore and Kozhikode, Kerala.
Gopalan, who was in Kozhikode at the time, was summoned to Chennai for questioning.
He was interrogated into the wee hours of Saturday at his Chennai office.
Sources within the ED confirmed that further interrogation is scheduled for later today.
The ongoing investigation is reportedly linked to the production of Empuraan, a film that has drawn sharp criticism from Right-wing groups over its portrayal of central investigative agencies like the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and the ED itself.
The Kochi unit of the ED is leading the operation, with support from its Chennai counterpart.
The probe focusses on alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) amounting to Rs 1,000 crore, involving transactions with certain NRIs and unauthorised financial activities.
The agency is also reportedly reviewing several complaints of cheating against Gokulam’s company for potential violations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The Gokulam Group, under Gopalan’s leadership, has diverse interests in chit funds, finance, film production, and sports.
The group has been under the ED’s scanner since 2023. Gopalan himself has faced multiple rounds of questioning prior to this.
The ED’s action has drawn political reactions.
CPI(M) Kerala leader and Left Democratic Front convenor T.P. Ramakrishnan alleged that the raids are politically-motivated.
Speaking in Madurai during the CPI(M) Party Congress, he called the ED’s move an act of “political vendetta,” directly linking it to the controversial content of Empuraan.
The film, directed by actor-film-maker Prithviraj Sukumaran, was released March 28 and initially recorded a strong box office opening. However, backlash followed swiftly.
The RSS-mouthpiece ‘Organiser’ published a scathing critique, accusing the movie of spreading misinformation about the Gujarat riots and maligning national agencies.
In response to the uproar, the film’s producers approached the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to voluntarily re-edit the film.
Mohanlal, the film’s lead actor, also issued a public apology via Facebook.
“I understand that some socio-political themes in Empuraan, the sequel to the Lucifer franchise, have caused mental distress among viewers,” Mohanlal wrote.
“As an artist, I have a responsibility to ensure that none of my films promote hatred against any political, ideological, or religious group. We, the Empuraan team, sincerely regret the distress caused and have decided to remove the objectionable content.”
Despite the edits and the apology, criticism from Right-wing leaders continues.
BJP Kerala President and former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar publicly condemned the film, saying he would not watch it due to its “distortion of facts.”
RSS leaders J. Nandakumar and A. Jayakumar also voiced their disapproval online, and several RSS-aligned digital platforms in Kerala have amplified the backlash.
As the ED intensifies its probe, Empuraan remains at the centre of a growing political and legal storm, highlighting the uneasy intersection of cinema, politics, and enforcement in India.
