Hindi
Reduce GST on film industry, IMPPA pleads to FM Jaitley
NEW DELHI: The Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMPPA) has urged the government to fix 5 per cent as the maximum GST rate that should be charged on all goods and services connected with the entertainment industry including entertainment tax.
In a letter to finance minister Arun Jaitley, IMPPA President T P Aggarwal said, “This will provide life to an industry which is being crushed under the heavy burden of tax and which needs immediate help and support of the government to survive”.
Pointing out that IMPPA was the oldest body of filmmakers having been set up in 1937, Aggarwal said the film industry has been burdened with the extreme end of high GST.
“In all other products, tax is levied after recovery of cost of production as well as input credit where all taxes and GST paid are adjusted in the GST payable,” he added. But in the film industry, GST has to be paid on goods and services as well as on sale of tickets irrespective of the fact whether the expenses incurred on making the film along with taxes paid thereon have been recovered or not.
GST in the form of entertainment tax has to be paid on the sale of tickets from the first ticket onwards where it has been fixed at the highly unreasonable level of 18 per cent for tickets up to Rs 100 and 28 per cent for tickets more than Rs 100.
The letter said that the imposition of uniform 18 per cent GST on majority of goods and services is also largely responsible for the miserable state of the film industry because very few films are profitable propositions and majority of films are disasters leading to the annihilation of the producers.
Aggarwal wrote that the government should be “providing free entertainment to the people who pay so many taxes.” Instead, it levies heavy entertainment tax which has to be paid by the poor citizen on films. Producers deserve to get the full money since the films are self-financed without any government aid.
He said that very few hit films make money while the rest are reeling in losses. Meanwhile, both the central and state governments cash in by imposing GST at every level. He demands that the practice of state governments choosing their own amount of entertainment tax must be abolished.
Hindi
Zee5 and Applause Entertainment team up for whodunnit ‘Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa’
Rajat Kapoor directs star-studded murder mystery streaming from 10 April.
MUMBAI: Zee5 is serving up another killer collaboration and this time, the murder mystery comes with a generous side of dark humour and family dysfunction. The streaming platform has partnered with Applause Entertainment and Mithya Talkies to bring Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa, a fresh, twisted whodunnit written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker and actor Rajat Kapoor. The film will stream exclusively on Hindi Zee5 from 10 April.
The movie reimagines the classic murder mystery genre with a contemporary, darkly comic edge. It revolves around a group of friends and family who smile, drink, and celebrate together until the silence snaps and long-buried secrets spill out. The stellar ensemble cast includes Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey, Waluscha De Sousa, Saurabh Shukla, Chandrachoor Rai, Neil Bhoopalam, Koel Purie, Palomi Ghosh, and Rajat Kapoor himself.
This latest offering continues the successful partnership between Zee5 and Applause Entertainment, which has previously delivered diverse hits such as Mithya, Bloody Brothers, and Jab Khuli Kitaab.
&TV Business Head of hindi Zee5 and chief channel officer Kaveri Das said, “Our collaboration with Applause Entertainment has consistently delivered distinct, high-impact storytelling. Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa is a natural progression, reinforcing our focus on genre-led content with a compelling whodunnit premise and a strong ensemble cast.”
Applause Entertainment business head for movies Sunil Chainani added, “This film adds yet another compelling layer to our slate with Rajat Kapoor’s unmistakable voice.”
Rajat Kapoor shared, “What interested me was not just the mechanics of a whodunnit, but the emotional violence that precedes physical violence. These are people who smile at each other, but there’s so much that is not said.”
The film promises razor-sharp writing, layered performances, and simmering tension, inviting viewers not just to solve the crime but to unravel the complex relationships at its heart.
If you love a good murder mystery served with wit and emotional depth, Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa looks set to be your next addictive watch. Mark your calendars, the whodunnit drops on Hindi Zee5 from 10 April.
