Producer Vashu Bhagnani Hospitalised in London After Income‑Tax Raids on His Mumbai Outlets

Film producer Vashu Bhagnani was admitted to a London hospital a day after India’s Income‑Tax Department carried out searches at 12 Mumbai locations linked to him, his daughter‑in‑law Rakul Preet Singh and Panorama Studios. The agency did not give a reason for his hospital stay, and when reporters called his family, they asked to be left “alone.” The raids, conducted on September 28, targeted properties tied to Bhagnani’s Pooja Entertainment, Rakul Preet Singh and producer‑owner Kumar Mangat Pathak’s Panorama Studios. Investigators say they are probing alleged fund transfers abroad that were presented as film‑project financing. Multiple teams are reviewing documents and overseas transaction details, though no official violation has been confirmed. Bhagnani, founder of Pooja Entertainment, has seen a string of box‑office setbacks, including the Coolie No 1 remake, Mission Raniganj and a 2024 remake of Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. The latter was made on a budget exceeding Rs 400 crore and sparked a public spat with director Ali Abbas Zafar, who was accused of misusing funds and of criminal conspiracy, forgery and mishandling Abu Dhabi subsidy money. Crew members have also claimed unpaid dues, and Zafar approached the FWICE over pending fees of Rs 7.3 crore. Jackky Bhagnani, the producer’s son, said the family mortgaged properties for the film and that returns were “not even less than 50%,” describing the period as “tough times.”

Context

Tax probes of film financiers are common in India because large budgets often involve complex overseas financing. Such raids can quickly affect a producer’s health and business reputation, especially when projects already face financial losses.