IT Raids on Dil Raju's Residence and Mythri Movie Makers in Hyderabad Following the Massive Success of Pushpa and Game Changer

On January 21, 2025, the Income Tax (I-T) Department conducted extensive raids on the properties of prominent Telugu film producers in Hyderabad, targeting suspected tax evasion. The operations involved over 55 officials and spanned eight locations, including residences and offices in Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills, Kondapur, and Gachibowli. 

Among those investigated was V. Venkata Ramana Reddy, popularly known as Dil Raju, a significant figure in Telugu cinema and the chairman of the Telangana Film Development Corporation. The I-T officials searched his residence in Ujas Villas, Jubilee Hills, as well as other properties linked to his associates, including his brother and daughter. Dil Raju is renowned for producing several films, including recent releases 'Game Changer' and 'Sankranthiki Vasthunam'. 

The offices and residences of Mythri Movie Makers' producers, Naveen Yerneni and Yelamanchili Ravi Shankar, were also searched. This production house is behind hits such as 'Pushpa 2', 'Rangasthalam', and 'Janatha Garage'. The searches extended to Mango Media, a distribution company associated with Ram Veerapaneni, husband of singer Sunitha. 

The coordinated operation focused on verifying financial records to probe irregularities. Interestingly, the number of income tax searches has decreased in the Hyderabad investigation unit, and sources indicated that unless there was clear evidence of tax evasion, officials would not receive permission from the Central Board of Direct Taxes. 

These raids have sparked speculation about potential financial irregularities within the Tollywood industry, given the massive revenues generated by recent blockbuster films. However, as of now, there have been no official statements from the I-T Department or the production companies involved.