Bollywood reacts to the Union Budget
For the past twenty years, the film industry hasn’t even been regarded as an industry by the government in the Union Budget. Clearly, films are not their priority. HANSAL MEHTA, FILM-MAKER Bollywood is an autonomous industry. So, I’m not sure if we have anything to do with the budget. PIYUSH MISHRA, ACTOR-FILM- MAKER We are a small industry given the larger perspective, so we have to make our voice heard. KUNAL KOHLI, FILM-MAKER Although we add a heavy percentage to the revenue, nobody takes us seriously... The government only focuses on increasing the service tax KAILASH KHER, SINGER
The Union Budget 2017-18 that was announced yesterday (February 1) by union finance minister Arun Jaitley might have addressed several concerns. However, the entertainment industry members claim that they have been neglected once again. Apparently, while demonetisation has had a large impact on the box-office collections, there haven’t been any amendments that could’ve benefitted them.
Film-maker Hansal Mehta says, “It’s not just this government that has sidelined us. It’s been like this for 20 years. I have been forced to not expect anything from the budget, because we are not regarded as an industry in the scheme of things. As long as film-makers are paying taxes to the government, I don’t think anything bothers them. I don’t think films are their priority.”
Amul Mohan, too, says, “A majority of tax-paying individuals are from our industry. But no relief has ever been offered to us. I don’t remember the last great reform our industry was given on a budget day. There were a lot of concerns the government could have answered, but it is the same as it was yesterday and it will continue.”
For years, Bollywood has been peeved about paying entertainment tax and this year too, the fact that there was no major announcement added to their disappointment. Kailash Kher feels that the creative industry has always been ignored. “Although a heavy percentage of the income from us goes to the revenue, creative people become soft targets for social outrage. Nobody takes us seriously. The government focuses on increasing the service tax, but they don’t study the fact that this industry adds to a certain percentage of our growth.” Actor-film-maker Piyush Mishra says, “Bollywood is an autonomous industry and does not require anybody’s support. We have independent producers who put in money and make profits. So, I am not sure if the industry on the whole has anything to do with the budget.”
On a slightly different note, film-maker Kunal Kohli feels it’s not fair to blame the government. “As an industry, we need to widen our association, make presentations to the government and put our points forward. It’s the responsibility of the people from the industry who are active in politics to represent us as an industry because they gained popularity by being members of the fraternity. We are a small industry given the larger perspective, so we have to make our voices heard.”