Rudramadevi is now tax-free

Hyderabad: The Telangana government on Thursday exempted the Telugu film Rudramadevi from entertainment tax for a year.

The film releases on Friday. The decision was taken to encourage films which highlight Telangana’s history and culture.

The Anushka-starrer, produced and directed by Gunasekhar, showcases the story of the 13th century warrior queen Rudramadevi of the Kakatiya dynasty.

Gunasekhar met Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao at his camp office on Thursday, invited him to watch the film and sought 100 per cent entertainment tax exemption, to which the CM responded favourably.

He was accompanied by Tollywood producer Dil Raju. They told Mr Rao that the film was made with a budget of nearly Rs 70 crore and was India’s first historical stereoscopic 3D film.

They said the main aim of the biopic was to bring to light the glory, grandeur and triumph of the 13th century Kakatiya Mahasaarajyam, and to propagate the story of the queen.

Mr Rao congragulated Mr Gunasekhar for making the film and directed chief secretary Rajiv Sharma to issue orders exempting entertainment tax. The GO exempting tax was issued within hours.

Mr Gunasekhar told Mr Rao that he had toured various places in Telangana to study the history of the Kakatiya dynasty and to shoot the film.

He said that the film highlights the need to protect minor irrigation tanks, which the Kakatiya rulers were famous for.

The Telangana government has initiated Mission Kakatiya to restore over 45,000 tanks.