Now Reading: Ramayana made tax-free in West Bengal, says CM Adhikari on Dussehra
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Ramayana made tax-free in West Bengal, says CM Adhikari on Dussehra
The Story in Brief
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced on Dussehra (Tuesday, 20 October) that the upcoming film ‘Ramayana: Part 1’ will be tax-free in the state. Speaking to ANI after attending celebrations at Central Park in Kolkata alongside actors Ranbir Kapoor and Yash, Adhikari cited similar exemptions previously granted to ‘The Kerala Story’, ‘The Kashmir Files’ and ‘The Bengal Files’. He also indicated that films on Lord Krishna, Arjuna and the Mahabharata could follow.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the first part of the two-part epic stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana and Ravi Dubey as Lakshmana. The film is scheduled for worldwide release on 5 November. Advance bookings opened on 19 October, with NDTV and CNBC TV18 reporting first-day sales of Rs 1.53 crore while Times Now reported Rs 4.78 crore. Adhikari also expressed grief over a stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata's Chorbagan area.
Update, 21 October 2026: Times Now reports that opening-day advance bookings have reached Rs 4.78 crore, citing Sacnilk, while NDTV and CNBC TV18 put the figure at Rs 1.53 crore. NDTV adds that the second part is planned for Diwali 2027.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Most outlets, including Hindustan Times and NDTV, carried the tax-free announcement as a straight news item with the CM’s statement. Times Now added day-one advance booking figures of Rs 4.78 crore, more than triple the Rs 1.53 crore reported by NDTV, without explaining the discrepancy. TrackTollywood speculated that more states might follow, drawing attention away from the West Bengal announcement itself. CNBC TV18 reported the advance bookings at the lower figure but omitted the state-wise breakdown that Times Now included. The differences are limited to the booking numbers and the speculative tone of one source, the core reporting on the tax exemption is uniform across all outlets.
Coverage: 5 sources, 4 neutral, 1 sensationalist
Sources (5): bollywoodhungama.com (neutral report), tracktollywood.com (sensationalist), hindustantimes.com (neutral report), timesnownews.com (neutral report), ANI (carried by ndtv.com, cnbctv18.com)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 5 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
