Vicky Kaushal-led ‘Chhaava’ has been roaring at the box office . Within almost three successful weeks at the theaters, ‘Chhaava’ has almost neared the Rs. 400 crore mark at the ticket window. While there is no slowing down for this Laxman Utekar film, which also stars Ashutosh Rana, Vineet Kumar Singh, and Rashmika Mandanna, among others, ‘Chhaava’ has been made tax-free in several states. Following the suit of the Madhya Pradesh and Goa state governments, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Chhattisgarh government has also declared ‘Chhaava’ tax-free in the state. In this article, we take you through some of the films that were made tax-free before ‘Chhaava’.

The Sabarmati Report

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Sabarmati Report | Photo: X

Director Dheeraj Sarna’s ‘The Sabarmati Report’ is a political drama based on 2002’s Sabarmati Express train burning incident in Godhra, Gujarat. Starring Vikrant Massey, Raashii Khanna, and Riddhi Dogra in the lead, ‘The Sabarmati Report’ failed at the box office, earning Rs. 31 crore of the Rs. 50 crore budget. However, the film was made tax-free in two states - Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. 

The Kerala Story

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Released in 2023, ‘The Kerala Story’ is a Sudipto Sen directorial, starring  Adah Sharma in the lead alongside Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani, and Siddhi Idnani. The story, claimed by the makers to be based on real incidents,  revolves around a Hindu woman who is coerced into converting to Islam and joining ISIS. Despite the negative reviews that it received from the critics, it became one of the biggest openers of 2023, and also one of the highest grossing films of the year due to word-of-mouth. Several BJP-led governments exempted the tax on the film including MP, UP, and Haryana.

The Kashmir Files

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One of the most controversial films of the present times, ‘The Kashmir Files’ is based on the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in the 1990s. Written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri, it stars Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, and Pallavi Joshi in pivotal roles. The movie was declared tax-free in at least nine states including Haryana, Uttarakhan, and Gujarat. ‘The Kashmir Files’ made a record of a film to have the highest increase in its collections on the first Monday of its release.

Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior

Filmmaker Om Raut’s periodical drama ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’ tells the story of Maratha warrior Subedar Tanhaji Malusare’s successful attempt at capturing the Kondhana fort (presently knowns as Sinhgarh) which was under the Mughal rule. It starred Ajay Devgn inn the titular role alongside Kajol as his on-screen wife, Sharad Kelkar as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and Saif Ali Khan as Udaybhan Singh Rathore, among others. The film won three National Film Awards under Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, Best Actor, and Best Constume Design. Eventually, it was tax-free in Maharashtra and UP.