Following an increase in the entertainment tax levied by the civic bodies in the state (which is in addition to the 18-28 per cent GST), Madhya Pradesh’s cinema owners and distributors have been on an indefinite strike since October 5. This has resulted in cinema enthusiasts missing out on much-awaited films likeandTo add to their woes, the implementation of the model code of conduct (achaar sanhinta) by the Election Commission on the afternoon of October 6 has left the decision hanging. With no films being screened and the fate of the upcoming films, including Kajol’s Helicopter Eela which releases this Friday, in the balance, the state’s entertainment industry has already incurred losses of around Rs 1.5 crores, according to the Central Circuit Cine Association (CCCA).Basant Lodha, director of CCCA which comprises of movie theatre owners, distributors, exhibitors and producers, stated, “We have support from 400 single screens and multiplexes from across the state. It is unfair that we are being told to pay dual tax on entertainment when it was made clear that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was levied for single taxation. Though we are apprehensive that there will be any clear decision until the election, we have still filed a PIL in the MP High Court against the civic bodies’ decision.”The sentiment is echoed by most of the cinema owners. Amit Kasliwal, owner of single screen theatre in Indore, said, “If the taxation becomes so high, single screens will be the worst affected as they cater to people who want to watch movies at an affordable price.” The civic body officials however remain firm on their decision. An official from the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) stated, “The decision to withdraw or suspend the tax is now in the hands of the government. As of now, it’s just a waiting game and right now, we are not in a position to comment on it.”Stating that, besides film producers, the whole state is incurring losses, Deepak Simhal from Rambha Cineplex in Bhopal , shared, “The weekend is the main business time but we suffered losses of approximately Rs 50000 over last weekend. We have sent applications to the concerned authorities and hope that they will understand our situation.”On the other hand, cinema buffs too are disappointed with the indefinite strike. Dhairya Badjatya, a management student, said, “As the government is already taking GST, levying additional tax is going to be a burden for customers as well as ticket prices might go up. Also, being a Radhika Apte fan, I was eager to watch, but alas, couldn’t.”After the LoveYatri cast, Aayush Sharma and Warina Hussain visited the city a while ago, fans were eagerly waiting to watch the film. But their plans went down the drain as well. Osheen Kundal a psychology student, said, “My friends from Mumbai saw the film and I couldn’t!” Achal Saxena, a Salman Khan fan, added, “Being fans of bhai, we were eagerly waiting for the release of this movie as we met the cast and team during the promotion tour. We are realy sad that we couldn’t watch the film.”While most people are against the move, there are some who feel this move may be beneficial in some ways. Pranay Tripathi, a film enthusiast and media student, feels this step will develop a better entertainment culture. He said, "I feel many non-commercial films are better than those that have a theatrical release. This way, people will at least get to watch those films online rather than going for massy entertainers only.”“After a tiring week, if you cannot watch films on a weekend then it is such a waste! Two films which I was eagerly waiting for, released last week and I had booked tickets too. But the strike led to my booking getting cancelled. Our entire group was disappointed.- Tanvi Pagare, fashion design studentWe get a break from our hectic schedules on the weekend and we love to watch films then. While last weekend I couldn’t watch any films, I hope the strike ends soon and I can watch something this weekend at least!- Aiman Khan, a student“The taxation is already high in Madhya Pradesh and now the government has imposed double tax! I can take blows to a certain limit but not more than that because then, how will I run the theatre? The customers will also face the consequences of this decision. I have already suffered losses of more than Rs 1.5 lakhs and if the strike doesn’t end soon, I will suffer more.- Drishti Gupta, from DDX Cinema in Bhopal“It is the festive season and there are so many holidays. But we can’t even plan to watch a movie because of the strike. I hope the strike is called off soon because I have been looking forward to watching some Hollywood movies.- Aakash Dubey, an IT professional“The prices of many things are already high, and we have to compromise there. Now, if the entertainment tax also goes up, how will we watch movies? The civic bodies and government must understand that the tax has increased but the income of the people remains the same.- Pratyusha Reddy, a teacher

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