As ‘Chhaava’ gets declared tax-free In Goa and MP, we bring you five Bollywood films that were made tax-free

Chhaava countries its blockbuster roll as it just crossed the 200 crore mark; reports suggest that exhibitors have added late-night and early-morning shows, mostly in Maharashtra. In Pune the film recorded an 84.50 percent occupancy across 774 shows and in Mumbai, it achieved 75.25 per cent occupancy across 1,515 shows. Chhaava starring Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Rashmika Mandanna and Ashutosh Rana is based on the life of Sambhaji, also known as Shambhuraje, who was the second Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire; he ruled from 1681 to 1689 and was the eldest son of Shivaji. Moreover, Chhaava was just declared tax-free in Goa and Madhya Pradesh.

Chhaava declared tax-free in Goa and MP; which Bollywood films have been tax-free?

Several Bollywood movies have been declared tax-free in recent years. When a state declares a film tax-free, it gives up its share of the tax; however, the Centre still pays its share. This exemption is designed to lower ticket prices, making the film more accessible to a wider audience. Here are some films that were declared tax-free in the last few years.

The Sabarmati Report

The 2024 film The Sabarmati Report starring Vikrant Massey was made tax-free by Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Rajasthan. The movie is based on the 2002 Godhra train burning, which triggered communal riots in the state of Gujarat.

The Kerala Story

The 2023 film stirred significant debate over its portrayal of sensitive societal issues. The Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh governments made the film tax-free. Moreover, Narendra Modi supported the film and called for other states to follow suit. 

Zwigato

Zwigato starring Kapil Sharma explored the daily challenges faced by a food delivery rider. Orissa government waived off entertainment tax on the movie. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik attended a special screening of the movie and gave his approval on exempting entertainment tax on the movie. The movie was shot entirely in Bhubaneswar and the state government made it tax-free to promote Odisha as a destination for filming through proactive policies.

Article 370

Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh declared the movie Article 370 tax-free; the film follows an intelligence agent who was selected for a secret mission by the Prime Minister's joint secretary to deal with terrorism by rendering Article 370 ineffective. The film shed some light on how the Indian government abrogated Article 370, ending the special status given to J-K, and bifurcated it into two Union territories Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The Kashmir Files 

The film was made tax-free in several Indian states including UP, Haryana and Karnataka. The film was directed by Vivek Agnihotri and presents a fictional portrayal inspired by real events surrounding the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir Valley in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Kashmir Files won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration at the 69th National Film Awards in 2023.