The Income Tax Department executed raids on Tuesday at the residences and workplaces of notable film producers Dil Raju, Ravi Shankar Yalamanchili, and Naveen Yerneni in Hyderabad. These individuals are behind the recent projects such as Game Changer, Sankranthiki Vasthunam, and Pushpa 2: The Rule.
IT Raids on Film Producers
According to sources, law enforcement conducted searches at eight different sites across Hyderabad, including the homes, offices, and an online platform associated with these producers. Dil Raju, whose full name is Velamkucha Venkata Ramana Reddy, is a significant figure in the Telugu cinema scene and the owner of Sri Venkateswara Creations. Recently, he was appointed as the chairman of the Telangana Film Development Corporation. Both Ravi and Naveen are co-founders of Mythri Movie Makers, also well-established in the film sector.
These raids come in the wake of the success of Venkatesh’s Sankranthiki Vasthunam for Raju, along with Pushpa 2: The Rule starring Allu Arjun, produced by Ravi and Naveen. Additionally, Raju was involved in producing Game Changer, which received a mixed reception. All three films had substantial budgets and were launched recently. Reports indicate that the investigations are aimed at suspected tax evasion, with more information expected to be released soon by the IT department.
According to Sacnilk, Pushpa 2: The Rule has grossed ₹1228.25 crore net across India and ₹1734.65 crore worldwide since its premiere on December 5. Game Changer has brought in ₹125.4 crore net in India and ₹179.55 crore globally following its release on January 10. Sankranthiki Vasthunam earned approximately ₹122.78 crore net in India since its debut on January 14.
Recent Film Projects
Dil Raju’s Sri Venkateswara Creations gained fame and financial success in the early 2000s with hits like Dil, Arya, and Bommarillu. In 2023, he produced Varisu featuring Vijay and co-produced Shaakunthalam starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu. More recently in 2024, he was involved with the Vijay Deverakonda film The Family Star and Game Changer, while Sankranthiki Vasthunam was released in 2025.
As for Ravi and Naveen of Mythri Movie Makers, they made their production debut with the films Srimanthudu (2015) and Janatha Garage (2016). They have also supported significant films such as Rangasthalam, Dear Comrade, and Gang Leader. Following their work on Pushpa 2: The Rise, they are producing several upcoming projects, including Ajith Kumar’s Good Bad Ugly, Sunny Deol’s Jaat, Pawan Kalyan’s Ustaad Bhagat Singh, and Rishab Shetty’s Jai Hanuman.