Jaya Bachchan calls for government support for entertainment industry; says, 'You want to kill this industry'  

Jaya Bachchan in Parliament

Veteran actress and Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Bachchan has made a passionate appeal to the government, urging it to support the struggling Indian film industry. During the General Discussion on the Union Budget 2025-26, the Samajwadi Party member accused the government of neglecting the entertainment sector and making survival increasingly difficult for those working in it.

Addressing Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Upper House, Jaya Bachchan argued that the film industry, which contributes significantly to India’s economy and global image, has been left without any relief measures. She highlighted the growing financial crisis within the sector, especially for daily wage workers and single-screen theatres that are shutting down due to rising costs.

“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,” Jaya Bachchan said.

She pointed out that the rising costs of movie tickets and general expenses have kept audiences away from theatres, leading to closures of single-screen cinemas. “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 the only industry that connects the entire world to India,” she asserted.

She urged the government to show some "mercy" towards the audio-visual industry. “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,” she said.

Jaya Bachchan also stressed that cinema has become a target, calling for urgent action from the Finance Minister. She reminded the government that filmmaking is a “very difficult industry” and urged Sitharaman to take the matter seriously by introducing policies that support its survival.