With its depiction of the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley during the 1990s unrest, The Kashmir Files has garnered a lot of attention in a brief time. As a result of the film’s popularity, numerous states have proclaimed it tax-free, and have given free screenings or half-day leaves for employees who want to see it.
And it got Savita Raj Hiremath, one of the producers of Amitabh Bachchan’s recent release Jhund, to question why her film did not receive the same treatment.
Savita took to Facebook and wrote that even though The Kashmir Files is an important film, Jhund is just as vital. She further claimed that despite the fact the film opened to glowing reviews and a subject that is “critical to the country’s growth”, it wasn’t made tax-free.
In her note, the producer also expressed that she was curious to find out what criteria the government uses to choose which films are exempt from the entertainment tax.
So I want to find out what’s the criterion on which the government selects a film to support it so strongly by making it tax-free, endorsing it through social media, and asking Offices to showcase the film or give a half-day holiday to its employees.
Checkout the Facebook post here:
And here’s how social media users are reacting to the producer’s query:
Bachchan plays Vijay Barse, a Nagpur-based retired sports teacher who helped start a slum soccer movement in Jhund. Nagraj Manjule, famed for his Marathi flicks Fandry and Sairat, made his Hindi debut with this biographical sports drama.
While The Kashmir Files made almost ₹116 crore in eight days at the box office, Jhund has only made slightly over ₹15 crore in the fifteen days since its release.