Jaya Bachchan requests Nirmala Sitharaman to show mercy on film industry: 'Perhaps you want to kill this industry altogether'

Jaya Bachchan made a request to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, urging her to show "mercy" and develop supportive proposals for the struggling film industry.

In a Rajya Sabha discussion about the Union Budget, Jaya accused the government of harming the film industry. She pointed to the hardship of daily wage workers and the closure of single-screen theaters due to rising costs. Bachchan pleaded for government support, arguing the industry was unfairly targeted and vital to India's global connections.

The actress said, “One industry has been totally ignored by you, and other governments were also doing the same thing. But today you have taken it to the next level. You have totally ignored the film and entertainment industry because you only use them for serving your own purpose".

“Today, leave aside GST, all the single screens (theatres) are shutting down. People are not going to movie halls because everything has become so costly. Perhaps you want to kill this industry altogether. This is the only industry that connects the entire world to India", she further added.

She appealed for "mercy" on the audio-visual industry, claiming cinema was being unfairly targeted. Bachchan said, “I am speaking on behalf of my film industry and making a request to this House on behalf of the audio-visual industry, that please spare them. Please have some mercy for them. You are trying to kill this industry. Please do not do this. Today you have started targeting cinema also".

Bachchan appealed to Sitharaman to take the matter "very seriously," highlighting the film industry's challenging nature. She said, “I request the Finance Minister to consider and please bring something to help this industry survive".