Filmmaker Mansore fumes over tax waiver to select movies

NT Correspondent
Bengaluru

The Karnataka government’s decision to offer a Goods and Service Tax (GST) waiver to select films has not gone down well with the Kannada film fraternity. The government recently decided not to levy tax on the Kannada movie ‘777 Charlie’. But what angered filmmakers most was the tax exemption to The Kashmir Files in March, taking a cue from other BJP-ruled states such as Haryana, Gujarat, Goa and Madhya Pradesh.

While many filmmakers remained silent, national awardwinning filmmaker Mansore (Manjunatha Somakeshava Reddy) has written an open letter to Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai, appealing to re-introduce the system of complete entertainment tax-free benefits to all films produced in Karnataka. In his open letter to Bommai, which was uploaded on his Facebook page on Sunday, Mansore welcomed the government’s decision to waive off GST to ‘777 Charlie’ but obliquely referred to a similar gesture extended to The Kashmir Files.

Stating that all Kannada films produced in Karnataka were enjoying 100 percent entertainment tax exemption, Mansore regretted that Kannada filmmakers lost this benefit because of the introduction of the GST. Films that were produced and shot outside Karnataka also got tax exemptions earlier if they offered convincing explanations.

Recounting the way Kannada film icon and legendary actor Dr Rajkumar protected the film industry when Janata Parivar government headed by Ramakrishna Hegde tried to impose entertainment tax on Kannada films, Mansore said: “When Hegde government decided to impose entertainment tax, Dr Rajkumar resolved to renunciate Kannada cinema and returned to his Gajanuru village. On learning about it, Hegde visited Rajkumar’s house and appealed to him not to leave Kannada cinema. The then chief minister assured him that the government would withdraw entertainment tax. Because of Dr Rajkumar’s interference, the Kannada film industry availed tax-free benefit till 2017.”

Questioning the rationale behind the government’s decision to extend the GST waiver to select films, Mansore said, “while hundreds of films, which are screened in international film festivals and won national and international awards are being denied of this benefit and a select films availing the tax waiver raises questions about the government’s yardstick for GST waiver. He also appealed to the chief minister to extend the GST waiver to all films produced and shot in Karnataka.