Cinema theatres in Kerala down shutters

Federation General Secretary M C Bobby said the recent hike in power tariff had resulted in increase of about 50 per cent in their electricity bills. It will be difficult to run the theatres with such a huge increase. Besides, with the diesel prices also going up, there would be a further erosion in their returns, Bobby told PTI.

If there was no favourable response from the government, all theatres in the state would be shut indefinitely from October 17, he said.

The Federation also demanded that Rs two, collected as maintenance charge from each ticket, should be increased to Rs five and Malayalam films should be exempted from entertainment tax.

 

The entertainment tax in the corproation areas is 25 per cent, Municipality 20 per cent and Pachayats 15 per cent.

Multiplex theatres in Kozhikode and nearby Angalamally are also participating in the strike, he said.