The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has submitted an urgent appeal to the Government of Maharashtra, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) proposed hike in theatre tax.
The association has expressed profound concern over the severe financial distress this tax increase will inflict on the entertainment industry, cinema exhibitors, and the thousands of daily wage workers who rely entirely on the film exhibition sector for their survival.
AICWA highlighted that the film and theatre industry is already navigating a fragile recovery phase following consecutive years of economic challenges, and imposing an additional fiscal burden at this juncture could force the permanent closure of numerous single-screen cinemas and multiplexes across the city. The leadership of AICWA emphasized that any escalation in theatre taxes will inevitably compel exhibitors to raise ticket prices, effectively stripping the common public of affordable cinematic entertainment and drastically lowering overall theatre footfalls.
Furthermore, the association warned that a decline in cinema attendance triggers a damaging domino effect that directly penalizes film producers, distributors, and vulnerable ground-level workers, including concession staff, security personnel, housekeepers, and technical crews.
AICWA calls upon the Honorable Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis and the municipal authorities to champion the preservation of the film industry through supportive policies rather than regressive taxation, urging immediate executive intervention to protect the cultural heritage and economic viability of the entertainment capital.
News Edit KV Raman
