Gandhiagar: The Government of Gujarat has made a decision to make the Hindi movie ‘The Kashmir Files’ tax-free in the State. This decision was announced by the Chief Minister’s office through their twitter handle ‘CMO Gujarat’.

મુખ્યમંત્રીશ્રી ભૂપેન્દ્ર પટેલે 'ધી કાશ્મીર ફાઇલ્સ' ફિલ્મને રાજ્યમાં કરમુક્તિ આપવાનો નિર્ણય કર્યો છે.

— CMO Gujarat (@CMOGuj) March 13, 2022

Based on video interviews with first-generation Kashmiri Pandits who were victims of Kashmir genocide, ‘The Kashmir Files’ by Vivek Agnihotri tells a narrative based on facts. Five lakh Kashmiri Pandits had to leave everything behind in 1990 after they were given options to convert to Islam, leave Kashmir valley or be ready to die by Islamic terrorists.

Meanwhile, Rakesh Patel, Director of Wide Angle multiplex in Ahmedabad said – Though we have not received formal letter on tax-free decision taken by the State government yet, this decision will make tickets below Rs. 100 value cheaper by 12% and tickets above Rs. 100 value cheaper by 18%.

He said, lot of people are coming to watch The Kashmir Files through mouth publicity. When we made schedule initially, we had allotted only two shows for The Kashmir Files, but looking at the extra ordinary public demand, we added three extra shows yesterday and six extra shows today to our schedule and public is still going back.

He said two shows in the morning today were houseful, over 900 are watching it in the afternoon across 3 screens, 2 shows in the evening houseful too, 3rd is filling up. He said people get shocked with tears in their eyes to see the reality of how Pandits were removed from Kashmir.

Earlier, BJP ruled states Haryana and Madhya Pradesh have also declared the film tax-free for six months. As per the order by Haryana government, the registered taxpayer (multiplex/cinema theatres) during the period of reimbursement allowed by this order should not charge State GST from the customers and the tickets will be sold at a price-reducing the amount of State GST. “The tickets sold for entry to an exhibition of the film during the period of this order should bear prominently the words ‘State GST not collected by the orders of Government of Haryana’,” it read.

“The registered taxpayers of the multiplex/cinema theatre shall file returns and deposit tax on the entry fee charged from the customers on entry to an exhibition of the film ‘The Kashmir Files’ from its own resources in a similar manner as being deposited for other films,” it stated.

DeshGujarat