Vijay Deverakonda reacts to ED’s 12-hour grilling over Liger funding

Mangalore Today News Network / News18

New Delhi, Dec 01, 2022: Vijay Deverakonda breaks his silence on the Enforcement Directorate (ED) grilling him for over 12 hours regarding the funding of Liger. It has been reported that the film, which marked his Bollywood debut, had a budget of Rs 100 crore. The central agency is investigating the alleged violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). Speaking with the press after the 12-hour questioning, the Telugu superstar said that he did his duty.

 

“With great popularity comes challenges and there’s nothing you can do about it. But I see this as an experience. I did my duty when they called. I went and answered their questions,” he said, as reported by Hindustan Times. “By getting popularity, there will be few troubles and side effects. It is an experience, it’s life. I did my duty when I was called, I came and answered the questions. They did not call me again," he was quoted in an NDTV report.

The actor was brought in for questioning at 8:30 am on Wednesday and was released after 8:30 pm that day. As per sources, Vijay Devarakonda was questioned about sources of funding for the movie, his remuneration, and payments made to other actors including American boxer Mike Tyson.

The ED officials grilled film director Puri Jagannadh and actor-turned-producer Charmme Kaur on November 17. They were questioned about the source of investment for the Hindi-Telugu movie ‘Liger’ which was released in August this year. Mike Tyson also played an extended cameo in the movie, reported to have been produced with a budget of about Rs 125 crore.

Despite the massive budget and star cast, Liger did not perform well at the box office. The film was panned by critics as well. Vijay stepped away from the limelight for a brief period, taking a break from social media platforms and public appearances following the film’s failure.