Venkatesh Daggubati has a witty reply to question about IT raids on film producers in Hyderabad: I only take white money

The Income Tax Department has been conducting raids in Hyderabad at the offices and homes of producer Dil Raju and others.

Venkatesh Daggubati was promoting his latest film, Sankranthiki Vasthunam, in Hyderabad on Thursday when he was asked about the ongoing IT raids on the offices and homes of filmmakers Dil Raju, Ravi Shankar, Naveen Yerneni, and Sukumar. The actor made it clear that he only takes ‘white money’ but that he can’t speak for others. (Also Read: Income Tax department raids Pushpa 2 The Rule director Sukumar's home and office)

Venkatesh was asked about the IT raids while promoting Sankranthiki Vasthunam.

Venkatesh Daggubati’s playful reply to question on IT raids

At a press meet to promote the film, a reporter told Venkatesh that filmmakers would have ‘no need for black money’ if all actors take ‘remuneration in white’. The actor replied to that and said, “I don’t know about others, but I am fully white – the whitest of white. I take so little, never too much, and only take white money. That, too, is given in my office, and I take it from there when I need it for expenses. I am a very simple person.”

The IT raids in Hyderabad

The IT department has been conducting raids in Hyderabad for three days at eight different places. Raju, the Telangana Film Development Corporation Chairman, was also under the scanner, along with Sukumar, Ravi, and Naveen. Incidentally, Raju is also the producer of Venkatesh’s film Sankranthiki Vasthunam, which made ₹133.5 crore net in India and ₹186.50 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk. The film’s team claimed it made ₹230 crore gross worldwide. The IT department has yet to talk to the press about these raids.

Recent work

Venkatesh was last seen in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan in Hindi in 2023 and in 2024 he starred in the Telugu film Saindhav. He will soon star in the second season of the Netflix show Rana Naidu with his nephew Rana Daggubati. Sankranthiki Vasthunam is his third film with director Anil Ravipudi after F2 and F3: Fun and Frustration.