Amidst 'Manjummel Boys' controversy, ED to probe into financial records of Malayalam blockbusters from past 5 years

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has launched an extensive investigation into the financial dealings of the Malayalam film industry, following allegations of inflated box office figures linked to the film 'Manjummel Boys.'

The ED is seeking legal counsel to potentially freeze the bank accounts of the film's producers and distributors as part of its probe into suspected money laundering activities.

According to On Manorama, the ED is now preparing to scrutinize the financial records of all blockbuster Malayalam films produced in Kerala over the past five years. This includes gathering detailed information on production costs and revenue figures. The investigation has been spurred by information from two filmmakers who disclosed alleged instances of black money transactions within Kerala's theatre sector.
The Malayalam film industry witnessed a significant boom in 2024, collecting box office figures amounting to Rs 720 crore in the first five months alone. Notably, four films—'Manjummel Boys,' 'Aavesham,' 'Aadujeevitham,' and 'Premalu'—each surpassed the Rs 100-crore mark in revenue.
Meanwhile, the controversy surrounding 'Manjummel Boys' started over disputes concerning profit sharing, prompting the ED to investigate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This led to the registration of an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against the film's producers. Notices were sent to the producers including Soubin Shahir, Babu Shahir, and Shawn Antony, summoning them for questioning. Subsequently, both Soubin and Shawn were interrogated by the ED.
'Manjummel Boys,' which reportedly grossed over Rs 220 crore, became the center of the investigation after a cheating case was filed against its makers.