Tamil Nadu theatres open on Friday after the four-day strike ends

"We are calling off the strike. After GST on tickets, there is no entertainment tax. The government has agreed to keep the 30 percent entertainment tax in abeyance," Chamber President Abirami Ramanathan told IANS.

According to him, theatres will start functioning from Friday, with Madhavan starrer "Vikram Vedha", "Nibunan" and "Pandigai" due for release.

From tomorrow onwards, cinema theatres will charge 28% of Goods Services Tax separately over and above the price of movie ticket. If the ticket is priced at Rs 120, the customer will be paying approximately Rs 153.6. Similarly, an 18%GST will be charged for tickets priced at Rs 100 and less.

The theatre owners were upset that 30 per cent was being levied by the state government over and above the 28 per cent Goods and Services Tax, making movie watching an expensive affair.

Actors such as Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan lent their voice to the appeal for fair taxes on the entertainment industry.

After DMK leader MK Stalin called for scrapping the 30 per cent entertainment tax, SP Velumani, the Tamil Nadu Minister for Municipal Administration, Rural Development and Implementation of Special Programme, said entertainment tax was not a new tax in the state.

Meanwhile, in an interview to IANS, former union Finance Minister and BJP veteran Yashwant Sinha warned of an imminent threat of indiscipline among states if they follow Tamil Nadu in levying additional taxes over the agreed rate in a particular sector.