After UP, 'Samrat Prithviraj' declared tax-free in Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand
What's the story
Akshay Kumar's magnum opus Samrat Prithviraj hit the theaters on Friday. Ahead of its release, the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh decided to waive off taxes on the Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi directorial. Notably, the Uttar Pradesh government was the first one to make the historical drama tax-free. Uttarakhand, too, followed suit soon after. The film also stars Sanjay Dutt and Manushi Chhillar. Here's more.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Samrat Prithviraj has been making headlines for a long time and the Yash Raj Films project is mounted on a grand, lavish scale. Kumar, whose oeuvre mostly includes comedy and patriotic roles, is making a deviation from those genres in this film. It is also expected to pump up the Indian theatrical business since the recently released Anek and Dhaakad failed to draw audiences.
Information
MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan spoke about decision
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted the decision, "We have decided to make the Akshay Kumar-starrer tax-free in MP to enable maximum youth to watch the movie on the life of the great king." The veteran politician mentioned the movie will enable youngsters to draw inspiration and take lessons from emperor Prithviraj's life. Earlier, The Kashmir Files was declared tax-free in MP.
Twitter Post
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami also made announcement on Twitter
उत्तराखंड में 'सम्राट पृथ्वीराज' फिल्म टैक्स फ्री होगी।
— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) June 2, 2022
देशप्रेम, साहस एवं पराक्रम से परिपूर्ण सम्राट पृथ्वीराज चौहान जी के जीवन पर आधारित इस फिल्म को अवश्य देखें। @akshaykumar
Scale
'Samrat Prithviraj' to be released on 4,950 screens worldwide
As per film trade analyst Taran Adarsh, Kumar's film is eyeing major theatrical domination and has booked 3,750 screens across the country. Since the film is releasing in Tamil and Telugu along with Hindi, 200 screens out of the 3,750 have been reserved for these languages. The worldwide screen count stands at 4,950, scoring an edge over other Friday releases Vikram and Major.
First responses
Cinephiles lauded the spectacle in early reviews
Several early responses to the film have started pouring in. Fans have taken to social media to laud the grandeur and larger-than-life aspect of the film, with a special nod to Kumar's performance as the titular character. The period drama is also winning hearts for its dialog delivery, VFX, and action sequences. Notably, Samrat Prithviraj is currently one of the top Indian Twitter trends.