High Court to hear on 2% cess on multiplex tickets and 2024 Act's validity

The High Court heard a writ petition filed by Multiplex Association of India (MIA), PVR Inox Limited, and shareholder Pratik Chauhan regarding the mandatory collection of a 2% cess on multiplex cinema tickets and the constitutional validity of the Karnataka Film and Cultural Workers' Emancipation Act–2024. During the hearing, senior advocate Uday Hollow argued that the government's claim of using the cess for welfare, including academies, is incorrect. Another petitioner, K.V. Dhananjaya, argued that the Act does not provide for levying a cess and that the government is suddenly implementing the Act, which had been in the deep freeze for two years. The court adjourned the hearing to Wednesday (Sept 30), noting that the Act has not yet come into force.