Thread by @N0rbertElekes

Movies have always been a powerful tool for conveying messages, inspiring people and bringing about social change. However, a film's reach and impact depend on its accessibility to the masses. This is where tax-free status for movies comes into play.

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But when is a film declared tax-free? What benefits do filmmakers and audiences get from this status? And how does it impact the politics surrounding the film? To understand this, let's take the example of the film, #TheKeralaStory, directed by Sudipto Sen.

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Which has been mired in controversies since its trailer release. The film is based on a true story of how a group of women from Kerala were brainwashed into converting to Islam and later join the extremist Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

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While the film claims to show the reality of what these missing women from Kerala went through, it has faced backlash from others who claim that these are false claims. Despite the controversy, the film has been declared tax-free in few states, UP, MP, Haryana

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So, what does it mean when a film is declared tax-free? State governments decide whether or not to give up their claim to tax income on a film-to-film basis, based on their evaluation of the relevance of the topics addressed in the film.

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When a film deals with a socially significant and inspiring topic, state governments may occasionally exempt it from taxation in order to make it more accessible to a wider audience.

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