More States May Follow Allowing Ramayana Tax Free

Ramayana has received a boost ahead of its theatrical release, with West Bengal announcing tax free status for the film. The announcement was made around Vijayadashami, adding to the buzz around the mythological drama. The move could help attract more families to theatres by reducing the cost of movie tickets in the state.

Tax free status generally means a state offers a concession on its share of applicable entertainment related taxes, where permitted. This can make cinema tickets cheaper and encourage more people to watch the film in theatres. With Ramayana drawing attention across India, moviegoers are now waiting to see whether other state governments will offer similar benefits before its release.

Advance bookings for Ramayana have opened across India, giving audiences an early chance to secure tickets. In the Telugu states, however, producer, distributor Dil Raju is reportedly waiting for ticket price hike approvals from the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana before opening advance bookings there. The final decision could affect the film’s opening collections in the region.

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Yash as Ravana and Sai Pallavi as Sita. Produced by Namit Malhotra with Prime Focus Studios, DNEG and Monster Mind Creations, the film features music by Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman. It is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on November 5 in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. More states could announce tax concessions as the release approaches.

- Veda