LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Thursday, declared the Hindi film 'The Sabarmati Report', based on the Godhra incident in Gujarat in 2002, 'tax-free' in the state.
The CM made the announcement after attending the screening of Vikrant Massey-starrer film along with his cabinet colleagues and the film cast here on Thursday. Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak was also present at the screening. In UP, all district magistrates have been asked to organise screenings of the film in their respective districts so that the maximum number of people are able to watch the movie.
After watching the film, CM Yogi applauded the crew and cast of the film for their effort in bringing out the truth about the Godhra incident. "This is a film every Indian must watch to understand the true story behind the Godhra incident," CM Yogi stated announcing that the movie would be made tax-free in Uttar Pradesh.
"The people of the country have the right to know about the acts that were carried out to create animosity in society and political instability in the country targeting the state dispensation,” said CM Yogi after watching the film. He emphasized the need to not only identify but also expose those faces who were conspiring against the nation for vested political interests.
Praising the filmmakers, CM Yogi added that the film's team had fulfilled its responsibility to uncover the truth. The CM added that the theme of the film was deeply connected with Ayodhya and paid tribute to all the Ram devotees who lost their lives in the incident. He urged the public to watch the film as widely as possible to understand the truth behind such a courageous initiative.
During the special screening session, the film's lead actors Vikrant Massey, Rashi Khanna, Riddhi Dogra and others associated with the film unit were present. Earlier, on Tuesday, Vikrant Massey had met CM Yogi in the state capital. The lead actor expressed his gratitude to the UP CM for making the film tax-free in UP.
‘The Sabarmati Report’ is based on the burning of the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express near Godhra station of Gujarat on February 27, 2002, in which 59 Hindu devotees returning from Ayodhya were burnt alive leading to massive communal riots in Gujarat.
Produced by Shobha Kapoor, Ektaa R Kapoor, Amul V Mohan and Anshul Mohan, the film is directed by Dheeraj Sarna. UP is the sixth BJP-ruled state to declare the film tax free.
Earlier the governments in Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Gujarat have already made the film tax-free. Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the film ‘The Sabarmati Report’, saying the “truth is coming out”.
"…It is good that this truth is coming out, and that too in a way common people can see it. A fake narrative can persist only for a limited period of time. Eventually, the facts will always come out!” the prime minister had said in a post on X.
This is not the first time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised a film. In 2022, he hailed Vivek Agnihotri's ‘The Kashmir Files' and had also mentioned ‘The Kerala Story'.