'Income tax searches can slow down work on Balaji’s projects'

For Ekta Kapoor, the income-tax department’s searches of her bungalow and the offices of Balaji Telefilms and its sister concern Balaji Motion Pictures, for suspected tax evasion, on Tuesday could not have come at a worse time. Shalvi Mangaokar reports.

For Ekta Kapoor, the income-tax department’s searches of her bungalow and the offices of Balaji Telefilms and its sister concern Balaji Motion Pictures, for suspected tax evasion, on Tuesday could not have come at a worse time.

HT Image

The film and TV producer is in the midst of the promotions of Shootout At Wadala, which is slated for release on Friday.

The I-T department’s search will continue on Wednesday.

Trade insiders said that other than this Bollywood release, Ekta has six ongoing projects, apart from her daily TV soaps.

“The searches may not affect the release of the film as the prints were in the process of being dispatched. The overseas prints were already sent. But having said that, the searches will definitely slow down work on all the other projects,” an industry insider said, on condition of anonymity.

According to sources, the television shows are likely to get affected the most. “Considering that they are daily soaps, work is on every day. Because they are mostly shot in the city, money is spent on a daily basis for basic things such as permissions, junior artistes’ payments, etc,” the insider said.

“Once Upon… is a huge film for the production house. It is one of the biggest movies of the year with an ensemble cast.” The movie stars Akshay Kumar, Imran Khan and Sonakshi Sinha.

When asked whether the I-T searches would cause problems with the release of Shootout..., Ekta’s brother, actor Tusshar Kapoor responded with a curt “no issues”. Asked if it would affect any of the other projects, he replied in the negative.