With soaring star fees and publicity costs, Tamil film producers are desperate to get an exemption from paying the entertainment tax, which could be up to 20-30 per cent of the ticket price.
During the DMK regime, any film which had a Tamil title qualified for a tax rebate. This was changed when the AIADMK came to power. Under the new rules, to qualify for an entertainment tax rebate, a film has to have a Tamil title and also, qualify for a ‘U’ certificate. “My previous films, Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom and Idharkuthaaney Aasaipattai Balakumara got entertainment tax exemptions. But I didn’t want to change the name of my next film ( Naalu Policeum Nalla Irundha Oorum ) because I liked the title,” says V.S. Rajkumar of Leo Visions.
Recently, the poster of the next Mani Ratnam film, a love story featuring Dulquer Salman and Nitya Menen, was unveiled. The title of the film was OK Kanmani , but it now reads as Oh Kadhal Kanmani . Rajkumar says that if a filmmaker is confident of getting a ‘U’ certificate, it is financially better to go for a Tamil title. “It makes a lot of difference in revenue. It amounts to almost 20-30 per cent of the price of a ticket,” he says.
Producers are trying every strategy to get an exemption from entertainment tax
