Hindi
Give industry status to film distribution, exhibition biz: Assocham
NEW DELHI: The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) feels that the government should exempt the transactions between film producers and distributors and those between distributors and exhibitors from service tax as the sector is already burdened with various types of taxes.
Furthermore, the levy of Value Added Tax (VAT) by the state governments at the instance of the central government should be scrapped.
Assocham said the guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India on 14 May 2001 pursuant to the grant of industry status to the film industry on 16 October 2000 had completely ignored the distribution and exhibition sectors and, therefore, bank finance was being made available only to the production sector. Although organisations of the film industry had appealed for removal of this anomaly from time to time, the government had not paid heed.
There was need for encouraging flow of special funds from government and the corporate sector to provide support to eminent film makers for development of regional culture. Grants from central government should be given to encourage regional films.
In the wake of amendments in the Finance Act 2007, service tax had been made applicable in case of renting/leasing, letting immovable property which includes theatres, exhibition halls and multiple use buildings with the result that the Central Excise Departments issued notices for recovery of service tax.
The VAT rates imposed at the instance of the centre differ from State to State from 4 per cent to 12 per cent. “The irony of this tax is that it cannot be passed on to the last person i.e. the cinegoer with the result that it ends at the distributor who even after making huge investment in buying the film is unsure as to whether he would be able to recover his investment and over and above he has to pay VAT despite his film flops. The Film Distribution is an unpredictable business and is the only segment where a purchaser is given guarantee of a product without actually verifying its contents.
Hindi
Dhurandhar returns to theatres worldwide on March 13 ahead of Dhurandhar The Revenge release
Jio Studios re-releases blockbuster across 500 screens globally before sequel
MUMBAI: The spy saga of Dhurandhar is gearing up for a big-screen encore before its next chapter arrives.
Ahead of the release of Dhurandhar The Revenge on March 19, Jio Studios and B62 Studios are bringing the original Dhurandhar back to cinemas worldwide in a rare international theatrical re-release.
The global blockbuster is returning across nearly 500 screens, including around 250 in India from March 12 and another 250 overseas beginning March 13.
For fans of the franchise, the move offers a chance to revisit the film that ignited the high-octane spy-action universe just days before the sequel lands in theatres. It also sets up a rare back-to-back big-screen experience, allowing audiences to relive the original before diving straight into the next chapter.
While re-releases of popular films are occasionally seen in India, international re-runs of Hindi films remain uncommon. The scale of the rollout reflects the growing global appetite for the franchise.
In North America alone, Dhurandhar will return to theatres across nearly 185 screens, highlighting the strong anticipation surrounding the upcoming sequel.
The excitement is set to build further with special Wednesday premiere shows of Dhurandhar The Revenge scheduled across the US and Canada on March 18, a day ahead of its global release. Many of these premieres will be hosted on premium large format screens, featuring wall-to-wall displays, immersive sound systems such as Dolby Atmos, enhanced projection and luxury seating.
These formats are typically reserved for major Hollywood event films, and early bookings suggest strong demand with several shows already sold out.
The recently released trailer of Dhurandhar The Revenge has also sparked buzz among exhibitors and trade circles, with expectations running high for the film’s international performance.
Dhurandhar The Revenge is written, directed and produced by Aditya Dhar. The film is produced by Jyoti Deshpande and Lokesh Dhar.
Jio Studios presents a B62 Studios production, an Aditya Dhar film.
The spy-action thriller will release worldwide on March 19, 2026, in five languages including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.
The film arrives in theatres globally on the occasion of Gudi Padwa and Ugadi, just ahead of Eid, setting the stage for a festive box office run.
