West Bengal chief announces tax-free status for Ramayana

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced on October 20 that the upcoming film Ramayana would receive tax-free status in the state. He made the announcement at a Dussehra celebration in Kolkata attended by members of the film’s cast and crew. The reports describe Adhikari’s announcement; they do not establish that a formal exemption has been implemented. Adhikari said the film would join other productions granted similar treatment in West Bengal, including The Kerala Story, The Kashmir Files and The Bengal Files. He also said films based on Shri Krishna, Arjuna and the Mahabharata could receive similar treatment in the future. Those remarks indicated possible future exemptions, not confirmed decisions. Ramayana is planned as a two-part film. Part 1 is scheduled for worldwide release on November 5, 2026, while Part 2 is planned for Diwali 2027. The film is set to feature Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman. Nitesh Tiwari is directing, and producer Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios is producing it with DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations. The October 20 event was organised by Salt...