CM Suvendu Adhikari announced the upcoming 'Ramayana' film will be tax-free in West Bengal during grand Dussehra celebrations in Kolkata. Lalit Beriwala of Salt Lake Sanskritik Sansad praised the move and the scale of the festival.
Chairman of the Trust Board of Salt Lake Sanskritik Sansad, Lalit Beriwala, on Tuesday hailed the grand Dussehra celebrations in Bengal, saying millions of people gathered at Central Park in Salt Lake, and welcomed Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's announcement to make the upcoming Bollywood film Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Yash, tax-free in the state.
Speaking to ANI during the Dussehra celebrations organised by Salt Lake Sanskritik Sansad on Tuesday, held around the theme ‘Ram Er Ayodhya – Ram Ki Ayodhya’, Beriwala said the event celebrated the victory of righteousness over unrighteousness. "Never before has such a grand Dussehra festival been organised on the soil of Bengal. Millions of people gathered both inside and outside the Central Park ground. The Chief Minister has made the Ramayana film tax-free. This is a mega-celebration, and its resonance will be felt across the entire country, showcasing the victory of righteousness over unrighteousness," Beriwala said.
'Ramayana' to be tax-free in Bengal
Meanwhile, CM Adhikari announced that the upcoming Bollywood movie Ramayana will be tax-free in the state. He announced this as the cast joined him in Dussehra celebrations in Kolkata on Tuesday. Announcing the tax exemption, Adhikari said that ‘Ramayana’ would join other films that have received tax-free status in the state. He also spoke about the possibility of films based on other Indian epics and mythological figures. “‘The Ramayana’ film has been made tax-free. ‘The Kerala Story’, ‘The Kashmir Files’ and ‘The Bengal Files’, all of these will be or have been made tax-free, and the same will apply to ‘Ramayana’. In the days to come, we will see films on Shri Krishna and Arjuna, as well as the Mahabharata,” the West Bengal CM told ANI.
CM grieves Chorbagan incident
The CM also expressed grief over the incident at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata's Chorbagan area and extended his support to the affected family. “We also carry a deep pain in our hearts regarding the incident at the Durga Puja pandal in the Chorbagan area. From this very stage, we offer prayers for those affected as well. We observed a moment of silence. Everyone stands with the grieving families,” he said.
'Ramayana' cast and crew
Producer Namit Malhotra, director Nitesh Tiwari and actor Ravie Dubey were also present at the event. 'Ramayana' features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman. Directed by Tiwari and produced by Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios in collaboration with 8-time Oscar-winning DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations, the film is envisioned as a two-part epic. (ANI)
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