Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri’s much-awaited movie ‘The Kashmir Files’ released on 11th March 2022, and on the same day the government of Haryana has declared it tax-free in the state. The Excise and Taxation Department of Haryana has issued an order on 11th March 2022 about this saying that the government of Haryana has allowed for the reimbursement of the state GST on entry to the exhibition of the film The Kashmir Files in cinemas and theatres from the date of this order.
Directorate of Information, Public Relations, and Languages Department, Haryana has shared this order in a Twitter post from its official Twitter handle saying, “The Haryana government has made the film ‘The Kashmir Files’ tax-free in the state.
हरियाणा सरकार ने फिल्म #TheKashmirFiles को राज्य में टैक्स फ्री कर दिया है। #Haryana #DIPRHaryana pic.twitter.com/Zg8XWC8OoV
— DPR Haryana (@DiprHaryana) March 11, 2022
The order stipulates that the theatres will not collect the state GST from the customers, and the tickets have to be sold at a price after deducting the state GST amount. Moreover, the multiplexes and theatres can’t increase the price of tickets.
The order says, “The tickets sold for entry to the exhibition of the film ‘The Kashmir Files’ during the period of this order shall bear prominently the words ‘State GST not collected by the orders of Government of Haryana’. The registered taxpayers (multiplex/cinemas theaters) during the period of reimbursement allowed by this order shall not charge State GST from the customers and the tickets will be sold at a price after reducing the amount of State GST.”
It also clears that the order shall remain in force for six months from the date of the order and the theaters shall not make any change in the seating capacity of different classes.
At present the GST on entertainment is 18%, but as only state GST has been waived by Haryana govt, the ticket price will go down by 9%.
Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, the director of this film has posted from his Twitter handle, “Thank you very much Honorable ML Khattar Ji. After the financial problems of the corona period, this decision of yours will be of great help to the normal families to watch this film. At the same time, the business of cinema halls will also gain strength.”
बहुत आभार माननीय @mlkhattar जी। corona काल की आर्थिक समस्याओं के बाद सामान्य परिवारों को यह फ़िल्म देखने में आपका यह निर्णय काफ़ी मदद करेगा। साथ ही सिनेमा हॉल का व्यवसाय भी मज़बूती पकड़ेगा। ??? https://t.co/VNZNqcai9U
— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) March 11, 2022
Film enthusiasts were eagerly waiting for this film to be released and the decision by the Haryana government to make it a tax-free film has added to the excitement. A Twitter user Aashish has written in his post, “Dear ML Khattar, thanks for declaring The Kashmir Files tax free in Haryana.”
Dear @mlkhattar – Thanks for declaring #TheKashmirFiles tax Free in Haryana https://t.co/iwXSYYi9im pic.twitter.com/vmEgMEOacc
— Aashish (@kashmiriRefuge) March 11, 2022
The film is based on the genocide of the Kashmiri Hindus by the fanatic Islamists in Kashmir in 1990 and the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus following that. The film stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumar, Chinmay Mandlekar, and Mrinal Kulkarni are in lead roles. The film was opposed by many Islamists before its release. A petition was also filed in the Bombay high court after the trailer of the film was published on YouTube. The petition sought a ban on the release of the film citing that it could potentially hurt the sentiments of the Muslims in the country. The Bombay high court had dismissed the petition clearing the way of releasing the film ‘The Kashmir Files’.
