Moolah matters

Sheetal

Rupee, every single one counts! february 1, 2023, sees Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman present her fifth and third paperless Union Budget. Considering it will be the last full budget of the PM Modi government before the country goes to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, expectations are sky high!

Just like any other sector, film and television industry too has its wish-list ready — reduced entertainment tax, infrastructure status to the entertainment industry, subsidies in film equipment and more.

Film producer-distributor Anand Pandit, who has backed films like Drishyam 2, Thank God, The Big Bull and Cirkus, says, “The film industry has faced tremendous challenges during the pandemic, so I hope the entertainment sector will get some support to recover faster from the setbacks of the last few years. We are an industry on which millions of livelihoods are dependent and are indeed a soft power that represents brand India across the world, but we also need a little support to grow further. Tax concessions, GST rationalisation, substantial help in tackling piracy and single window clearance for theatres are some of the things that makers and industry stakeholders are expecting from the budget this year.”

Helping hand

Ashoke Pandit, president of Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association, feels that entertainment has been collectively sidelined by all the governments, “The finance ministry should seriously think about helping entertainment industry, which sustained itself during the harsh years of Covid while providing entertainment to all. From GST relaxation to subsidies in raw material (camera, equipment or studios) will help. The entertainment industry has always felt orphaned while they contribute a big chunk of share in income tax collected by the government.”

Actress Subuhii Joshii makes a case for the entertainment tax to be reduced. “We see that whenever a patriotic movie is released, they keep reasonable ticket prices or there is no tax, but for the rest of the movies, the ticket prices go up. I think for every movie, the taxes should be reduced so everyone can enjoy it,” she avers. Adds television actress Pranitaa Pandit, “The entertainment industry needs to be taken more seriously as it does offer a wide variety of employment opportunities. Steps should be taken to make it easy for those in the industry to avail tax incentives.”

For the common man

Actors Sneha Jain and Simaran Kaur believe cinema halls are a big source of entertainment for people. “There’s no substitute for a movie-going experience. However, food items are more expensive than ticket prices. So, maybe, we can rationalise taxes in a way to make it affordable,” says Jain. “Going to films is still a larger-than-life experience and the example is Pathaan. So films are an emotion and the entertainment industry is one of the biggest industries in India, so we must make it more affordable to the common man,” adds Kaur.

Television producer Nivedita Basu opines, “I think while single-screen ticket prices are reasonable but whenever you go to a multiplex, it’s heavy on the pocket. But at the same time the cost of filmmaking has gone up immensely, so the government can help the directors and producers by resourcing subsidised equipment for the shoots.”

During the pandemic, a lot of artistes faced monetary issues. “So, I believe the budget should come up with something that could help not just actors but daily-wagers, technicians, and make-up artistes in sustaining their livelihood in times of need. I am sure there’s Cine and TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA), but it’s not wrong to expect a little help from the government,” says actress Smriti Kalra.