Veteran Bollywood actress and Samajwadi Party leader Jaya Bachchan have sharply criticised the Indian government for neglecting the movie and entertainment sector in the Union Budget 2025-26. Talking in the Rajya Sabha during the General discussion on the budget on Wednesday, she worried about the challenges the industry was facing, particularly the increasing expenses of cinema halls and the closure of single-screen theaters.

According to Bachchan, the government failed to appreciate the economic and cultural relevance of the film industry; he claimed it was only used for political advantage.

She said in her address, "One industry has been totally ignored by you...You have totally ignored the film and entertainment industry because you only use them for serving your own purpose,"

She also noted the Goods and Services Tax (GST) financial burden imposed on the film industry, claiming that high taxes are driving down movie theaters and therefore keeping customers away due to rising costs.

"Today, leave aside GST, all the single screens (theaters) are shutting down. People are not going to movie halls because everything has become so costly," she said.

Concerned about the direction of the field, she added, "Perhaps you want to kill this industry altogether. This is the only industry that connects the entire world to India."

The veteran actress and politician made an emotional appeal for the survival of the film sector, requesting the government to refrain from targeting it.

"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," she implored. "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."

Urging Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to act promptly to address the issues of the entertainment sector. 

"I request the Finance Minister to consider and please bring something to help this industry survive," she stated, emphasizing the need for urgent intervention.

Her comments come amid growing concerns over the financial sustainability of India's film sector. The struggle to attract audiences has forced producers to re-release older films, as new releases have struggled to perform at the box office.