Kochi, Jul 25 (IANS): Even as two of his fellow superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal are under the scrutiny of Income Tax (I-T) sleuths, Malayalam superstar Dileep attended the tax department's cultural celebrations here as one of the chief guests.

Dileep sent the audience into ripples of laughter each time he referred to the raids against his co-superstars.

"The moment you people came to invite me, I asked my producer and director who was doing my latest film to go away because I have to be in this function," Dileep said while addressing the audience at the function Sunday night.

He said if the tax authorities ever wanted to interrogate him, all they had to do was give him a call.

"And if I don't come to you, please scare me by saying that you will now arrive at my house and I will be with you the very next moment," he said to a round of applause.

On film stars allegedly evading tax, he said: "Please don't see us trouble makers and as tax evaders. It is just that we are not good in numbers."

Dileep is one of the leading individual tax payers in Kerala.

I-T officials July 22 raided Mammootty, Mohanlal, and several of their business associates across four southern cities for suspected tax evasion.