Goa filmmaker wants 'Calapor' to be tax-free

Makers of upcoming Bollywood film "Calapor" will heed super cop Kiran Bedi's advice and speak to Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in an effort to get the film declared tax-free.

"Calapor" is arguably one of the most expensive films made by a Goan producer-director duo and stars Rituparna Sengupta, Priyanshu Chatterjee, Raghubir Yadav and Harsh Chhaya.

Shot in a real-setting in two Goa prisons, the film releases Friday.

Speaking to reporters in Panaji Thursday, the film's director Dinesh Bhonsle said: "We have sought time from the chief minister. We are going to request him to make the film tax-free."

On July 31, Kiran Bedi, known for her passion for prison reforms ever since her stint as in-charge of New Delhi's Tihar jail, had said at a press meet that she would appeal to Parrikar asking him to make the film tax-free.

"I would urge the Goa chief minister to make the film tax-free so the word spreads. Like 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' has been made tax-free, and that's promotion of sports, and by making it tax-free it will also be spreading prison reforms and coming together of three PPP (denoting the government, public service officials and the people)," Bedi told reporters in Kolkata.

Parrikar was one of the first few chief ministers to declare the Farhan Akhtar-starring biopic of Milkha Singh, "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" tax-free earlier this week.