Chennai Corporation’s 10 percent entertainment declaration of entertainment tax is reminiscent of a uniform step in 1950

The recent announcement of Chennai Corporation is a resolution of a resolution that allows the civic body to levy 10 percent entertainment tax on the entry fee for concerts, drama, shows or events made on the premises of any institution, which has come in the form of a shock for the artists, but, this is not the first time that such a resolution has been passed. If we look at history, the world of theater faced a similar situation in the early years of independence.

TK Shanmugam contributed to the Tamil Theater world as an actor-producer as an actor-producer. After portraying the St.-Poet Avavire in a play, the popular person as ‘Awwai’ Shanmugam considered the welfare of an artist as a privilege for the development of art. He started several activities as a focus with it and in 1943, established a handwritten tabloid – Arivichudra – Especially for theater fraternity. They also founded Arivu urutti confluence In Madurai (1938), an organization for the personal development of artists, where they could read magazines, could learn language and listen to speeches by leaders. In 1949, Shanmugam also played an important role in the establishment of Nataka Kazgam, which worked towards the betterment of theater and the improvement in the financial position of the actors.

He got support from remarkable names and cinema – SS Vasan, AV Meeppa Chettiyar, MK Tharagavathar, NS Krishnan, SV Sahasranam, VC Gopalartnam and K. Sarangpani – who was associated with Nataka Kajgam. Director K. Subrahmanyam and comedian TN Shivthanu served as secretaries, while Shanmugam was the first chairman of the Working Committee. Av Meiyappa Chettiar made a liberal donation of 2,501 to the organization at the time of its establishment.

To raise money for his work, Nataka Kazgam organized a series of ticket shows – music, dances and drama – which spread over a month. The shows were held in the country for the first time in the country in the country between March and April in the country. A large number of crowds defeated these demonstrations, headed by C. Rajagopalchiri, RR Diwakar (Minister of Information and Broadcasting) and B. Gopala Reddi (Finance Minister of Madras) was done by several political leaders. Nataka Kazgam had set the right stage for his efforts to address the then prevailing issue of entertainment tax on entry tickets for performance.

It was in 1947 that the Madras government proposed a bill, which increased the entertainment tax by 33.33%, by 18.75%. This caused a stir in the theater fraternity and the resolution was passed at the conferences held in Madras and Thanjavur against its implementation. In a detailed statement issued to the press, TKS Brothers came out firmly against the move with a statement talking about the financial aspects of the theater production. The Nawab Rajamanikam Pillai (the founder of the Madurai Devi Bala Vinodha Sangat Sabha) had said that with the proposed increase in the levy, he would honestly invite the government to run his congregation. The better spirit was strong, because the final law had a taxed rate of tax (12.5 percent for tickets is ₹ 3, 20 percent, ₹ 3 to ₹ 5 for tickets and more than ₹ 5 for tickets for 33.33 percent). While this was a welcome relief, the industry led by Nataka Kazgam soon came out with a call to eliminate the levy.

Hemalatha and Teaches Bhagwati in popular Tamil drama by TKS Brothers King king chojan
Photo Credit: Hindu Archives

In April 1950, Nataka Kazgam made an argument to the Madras government, requesting total tax exemption for the theater performance. In July 1950, a delegation led by Pamal Santa Mudaliyar, the then Chief Minister PS Kumaraswamy Raja and B. Gopala met Reddi (Freedom Fighter-Politician) and explained the argument behind his petition. He said that the emergence of cinema as a popular means of entertainment affected the development of stage plays and required the protection of the state to maintain itself. The role of plays in the form of possible publicity vehicles was emphasized, as well as that the levy on the drama was low in the current revenue for the government.

His efforts cause the desired impact, as the government announced exemption for plays from the scope of entertainment tax “with an impact from 1 April 1951” with a similar discount for music and dance.