No free ride yet for Road to Sangam

Road to Sangam,a film on Gandhis last journey,has yet not been made tax free in the state even though it fulfills pre-requisite conditions including that of being shot here.

Blaming the inaction by the entertainment department,the films director,Amit Rai,said: I had sent the application on December 12 requesting the department to declare it tax free in UP as 80 per cent of the film was shot here. Besides,it fulfilled a criterion for an international award.

The film has already bagged six awards,including Best First Film of a Director award at International Films Festival of South Africa,the Best Feature Film Award at the Radar Hamburg Film Festival in Germany,and the Audience Choice Award for Best Film in MAMI at Mumbai.

Entertainment Tax Commissioner Muktesh Mohan Mishra blamed the delay on the director,saying he had not sent documents like award certificates and a CD of the film. There is no problem in declaring the film tax free provided the director submits the papers, he said.

On his part,Rai said: I personally met Mishra and submitted the application. He had asked me for certain documents which I faxed him the same day and later by post.

The Om Puri and Paresh Rawal starrer,shot in Allahabad,is the story of a devout Muslim mechanic,Hashmatullah,entrusted with the job of repairing an old V-8 Ford engine. Hashmatullah is unaware that the car once carried the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi for immersion at the Sangam.

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