Indian cinemas shut in tax protest

The Tamil film industry, featuring stars such as Rajinikanth (L), is India's second biggest after Mumbai-based Bollywood. - AFP

New Delhi (AFP) - More than 1,000 cinemas in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu have closed in protest at a hike in taxes after the government introduced a nationwide levy.

Movie theatres in the southern state darkened their screens from Monday, saying a state tax of 30 percent on tickets on top of the new national tax of 28 percent will deter cinema-goers and encourage piracy.