Bengaluru: The year 2018 ended on a high note for sandalwood with a record number of movies releasing in a calendar along with few huge budget movies especially ‘KGF’, which made the entire nation turn towards Kannada film industry. Seems like, it also grabbed the attention of Income Tax department, which rocked the sandalwood for the first time with multiple raids on the houses and offices belonging to the top stars heroes, leading producers and distributors.
With biggest stars and producers being raided, the IT shock wave has left the entire industry numb. While the main focus remains on the reports over huge amount of business churned by the ‘KGF’ in less than two weeks across the nation and even abroad, which stars like Yash and producer Vijay Kiragandur, both who are raided, the other actors and producers who are also raided were also part of similar such high budget projects.
Striking out at the political motivation behind the raids, the industry men see it as the recent successes and huge money flowing in the industry as the main cause. Film industry is notoriously famous for turning black money into white!.
It was no less than any location of a film shooting, where IT raids were conducted, as huge number of fans and supporters who had gathered in front of the residence of their favourite actors. It was one of closely watched act of raids, with glimpses of actors who were seen worried and some putting up a brave face on the occasion.
Shivarajkumar was seen along with his wife Geetha at the time of the raid, so was Puneeth Rajkumar and his wife. Yash and Kichcha Sudeepa rushed to their homes who were till then busy with film shooting. Insofar as prominent producers were considered, IT officers continue to search as they grilled them for hours seeking explanations as they searched their promises.
Several unofficial figures on the amount money in cash, gold and jewellery even expensive stones, diamonds, and incriminating documents started making rounds. So much was the interest that netizens started to showcase their meme talents. One such being where they claim that IT officials ran away from the place of Shivarajkumar after they found a long machetes (longu) from his house during the raid! The actor is known for his skills using such a weapon in his movies.
From the procedural aspects involved in raids, to what they did have for lunch and approved valuators of gold and precious stones walking inside and out with weighing machines drew a lot of attention.
Even the houses of relatives houses such as Yash's sister, and his wife Radhika Pandit were raided.
