Thugs Of Hindostan FINALLY To Release In Madhya Pradesh; Multiplex Strike Issue Resolved!

Movies like Ayushmann Khurrana’s Andhadhun & Badhaai Ho, Tumbbad and Saif Ali Khan’s Baazaar to name few, are those which released during October and faced a chunk of loss due to the ongoing multiplex strike in Madhya Pradesh. Now, as per the latest reports there is a good news for makers of Thugs Of Hindostan starring Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, as the issue is about to resolved in the state thus making a way clear for a Diwali release.

Earlier, the state governments were levying entertainment tax on the exhibition of films in cinema theatres, including multiplexes. With the advent of Goods and Services Tax (GST), the entertainment tax levied by state governments was subsumed under the GST. However, the Madhya Pradesh government empowered local bodies within the state to start levying entertainment tax i.e. Local Body Entertainment Tax (LBET), in addition to GST. Multiplex Association of India (MAI) said that that this levy of Local Body Entertainment Tax (LBET) by Bhopal and Indore Corporations leads to double taxation on an industry which is already reeling under the impact of high tax rates and piracy, and could well sound the death knell of the film industry.

In protest against the additional taxation, multiplex operators in Madhya Pradesh discontinued the operations from 5 October on all films in Bhopal and Indore.

Now as the festive season of Diwali and Christmas is about to arrive, which yields a hefty business at ticket windows, the association has decided to call off the strike. Although the multiplexes are comprising their profits, its indeed a good move as the much awaited movies like Thugs Of Hindostan, 2.0 and Zero, are geared up for the release.