Prior to the release of Sueprstar Rajinikanth’s magnum opus ‘Kochadaiiyaan’ the Tamil Nadu Government ny a special GO, had granted Entertainment exemption for the film directed by Soundarya Rajinikanth Ashwin. Though this was contested by a Chennai based advocate named Muthiah in the Madras High Court, the court had upheld the E tax exemption for the film and had passed an order on May 22 that the Entertainment tax on the film should not be levied on the audience.

However except a popular Cineplex in Chennai all other theatres were charging the ticket rates inclusive of the entertainment tax. Advocate Muthiah had again filed a petition stating that the court order regarding entertainment tax exemption for ‘Kochadiiyaan’ was not followed by theatre owners and the order was not properly implemented by the Commercial Tax department. In his petition Muthiyah has noed that he filed his earlier petition only to make sure that the tax benefit given by the government for the films that satisfy the criteria stipulated by the committe formed by the government for this purpose should reach the audience. However in practice the entertainment tax is being charged with the ticket rate and the benefit goes to the pockets of distributors and theatre owners.

The Madras High Court has admitted the petition and has sent a notice to the authorities of the commercial taxes department asking them to file an affidavit of compliance of the court’s order dated May 22, upholding the entertainment tax exemption granted for the film ‘Kochadiiyaan’.