LAHORE, May 1: Stage dramas in private theatre houses are thriving on suggestive dances, overcharging and tax evasion thanks to the corrupt among the regulatory and tax collection staff.

Stakeholders told this reporter on Sunday the official rate for five private theatres’ different categories of seats is Rs60, Rs120 and Rs210. But, actually, much higher price is being charged from visitors. The actual rate is Rs200, Rs300, Rs500 and Rs1,000 which is enhanced even more on Sundays or general holidays. Two shows are held on every Sunday, increasing the rate of a seat closer to the stage up to Rs2,000.

In majority cases, simple chits containing numbers of the seats or rows are given to the visitors instead of a valid ticket. Sometimes the chits are replaced with tickets with no mention of rate during the shows.

According to the official requirement, every ticket should bear an excise department stamp for keeping a record of the income of the show and calculating tax on it. But this is not done to temper with the figures of income and ultimately to evade tax. The official rates are neither mentioned on the tickets, nor are they displayed over the booking office in violation of another condition.

The stakeholders say the average income from a single show is from Rs200,000 to Rs250,000. They allege half of the overcharged money is taken by the unscrupulous among the official tax collecting staff. Of the remaining, 25 per cent is allegedly pocketed by the dishonest among drama organizers. The rest goes to artistes or is spent under different heads.

The overcharging is also attributed to the higher rates of top female artistes — one of them is allegedly charging over Rs1 million for a few days’ appearance.

The tax is calculated as per the official rate and in some instances it is also not allegedly deposited with the government department concerned.

Every drama should be staged from 8:30pm to 11pm. But it is invariably held from 11:30pm to 2am to 2.30am.

The main attraction of all stage plays is stated to be dances by female artistes. They are staged much later than the permitted time to avoid any official interference and to wait for the worthy clients, especially from outstations who consider watching “mujra” in theatres safe.

Every drama is supposed to be based on a story, approved by the provincial home department. But dances, from four to six in a show, and extempore ribaldry dominate the approved script.

Security is ensured by private guards who at times look unable to control the rowdy watchers tending to respond to dances with obscene remarks or showering of currency notes. The tendency creates bad blood among different watchers of the shows, and occasionally leads to brawls among them. —Intikhab Hanif