After special screening, Adityanath declares Samrat Prithviraj tax-free in Uttar Pradesh

Films were not only meant for entertainment but they can become a medium of public awareness, creating inspiration and guiding the society, he added.

“People will also become aware about the places in UP that have been shown in the film. The movie also depicts history besides entertaining the audience. It tells us as how there is no present without a past,” he added.

“We have entered the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav year. The last 75 years were a period of contemplation and self-observation,” the Chief Minister said in the presence of film’s director Chandraprakash Dwivedi, actors Akshay Kumar, Manushi Chhillar, and his cabinet ministers.

Claiming that the contribution of everyone is important in the ‘yagya’ started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, “This effort to connect the present with the past is commendable. Akshay Kumar and Manushi Chhillar have done a great job in the lead roles in the film, while other actors have also contributed immensely with their performances.”

Felicitating the actors, the Chief Minister said , “Today, I got the opportunity to watch a film after several years.”

Later, taking a jibe over the special screening of the movie, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav tweeted, “The BJP government’s cabinet is watching a ‘historic’ movie in a modern auditorium built by the then SP government. “Watching a movie will be a better experience if it is done after purchasing tickets, not for free. After watching a historic movie, the cabinet is requested to see the present conditions of the state as well. Itihaas ke aate se vartmaan ki roti nahi ban sakti,” he added.

Madhya Pradesh has also made the film tax-free.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday attended a special screening of Samrat Prithviraj. Shah called the film “an epic (which) can at times ignite pride and mass awareness that hundreds of books cannot”.