Kamal takes exception to Centre’s move to tag cinema along with ‘sinful’ industries

Actor Kamal Haasan on Friday expressed his displeasure at the Centre’s proposal to levy an Entertainment Tax of 28% under the GST on regional cinema and also took exception to the fact that the Centre had tagged the film industry along with “sinful industries like gambling and horse racing”.

Addressing the media at the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce, the actor came down strongly on the huge tax that the government is looking to impose on regional cinema under the new GST, saying he considers the new tax, suggested by the government, a big punishment.

Kamal Haasan said, “I consider this to be a big punishment and we need to be exempted from it. Moreover, we are not guilty. This is not a struggle to say that we will not pay tax. It is just a plea to express our inability to pay.”

The actor further said, “It is our strong view that you should not enlist this industry, from which several chief ministers in the south and top politicians have emanated, in a list of those performing sinful activities. This is not like gambling. I don’t have to tell you how important art’s strength is for culture.””

Stating that the government could not impose the same 28% tax on both Hindi and Tamil cinema, the actor said, “This does not mean that I am speaking against Hindi cinema. Our plea is just that the government should make an effort to learn what is feasible for whom and then arrive at the tax to be imposed on them. So our view is that any good government that is considerate will not view our plea as a big opposition or revolt and consider it to be a fair request and address our concerns.”

When asked if he felt personally disturbed and offended with the way cinema had been identified with the sinful industries, the actor said, “Absolutely”. “This is my life. I woke up into cinema. I learnt to speak in cinema. From the time I can recall, I have been in cinema. I got into acting from the time I was three and a half years old. So, this is something that is angering me. You cannot weigh us like that. One other thing is that this is not the final announcement of the GST council. This is a council that will consider the impact these taxes will have. I believe the same point that we are making is going to be put forth by the Bengal finance minister because I was having a conversation with him. The same opinion will come from Kerala and Andhra. Karnataka has already expressed the same point of view. The reason why the regions are saying this is because the strength of regional cinema lies only in that region. You cannot impose the same amount of tax on regional cinema that you impose on Hindi cinema which releases across the country.”

Reiterating that the regional films, Hollywood films and Hindi films cannot be put on the same level, Kamal said, “Most of them live in their own state and that is where the films run and they cannot afford to pay this kind of tax. Also, when it comes to the pride of Indian cinema, it has always been the regional cinema that has stood up to international scrutiny. Most of the awards for India have come from these regional films that are made on a budget that is one/tenth of the budget that is spent on making a Hindi film.”

Kamal made it clear that he was willing to pay tax but that the government must make it affordable. When asked if he thought people would just leave the business if the government does not make the tax affordable, Kamal shot back, “If I can’t afford it, I will have to leave the business.” When asked the same question again, he said, “I will. Why would I work for the government? What is this? The East India Company? I work for myself and it is not about any political party or government. I am talking about my sustenance. I was promised an easy life when the Republic was formed and it is not getting any easier. You are demanding more money and what is your investment back into the industry, very limited.”