US President Donald Trump's latest announcement of imposing a "100% tariff" on films made outside the United States has sent ripples across the film industry. While the move has been widely criticised, Indian filmmaker Anurag Basu believes it could unexpectedly benefit India's domestic cinema market.
Anurag Basu Sees Opportunity In Trump's Move
Speaking with Zoom, Basu suggested that the tariff could work in India's favour if the government chose to respond with a similar policy on Hollywood films. "Trump's tariff on Indian movies could be a blessing in disguise, if we reciprocate on Hollywood releases, higher ticket prices for foreign blockbusters here would drive audiences to domestic films, more than offsetting any US losses. Think of it as box-office karma with better exchange rates," the director said.
Basu further noted that the move might encourage Indian audiences to choose local films, which could strengthen the industry in the long term.
Kabir Khan Expresses Disbelief
Filmmaker Kabir Khan, however, expressed skepticism over how Trump's plan would even work. Speaking to NDTV, he said, "I have no idea what he means when he says 'made outside of the United States' because every second Hollywood film is shot outside of the USA, the VFX is executed outside of the USA. And tariff on what? The ticket price? His statement is too broad to be understood properly. Firstly, let's see if he remembers this tomorrow when he wakes up."
Trump's Announcement On Truth Social
US President revealed his plan in a series of posts on Truth Social, claiming that America's film industry has been undermined by international productions. "California, with its weak and incompetent Governor, has been particularly hard hit! Therefore, in order to solve this long time, never ending problem, I will be imposing a 100 percent Tariff on any and all movies that are made outside of the United States," Trump wrote.
He also alleged that foreign countries had "stolen" America's moviemaking business, comparing it to taking "candy from a baby."
Trump's statement arrives at a time when Hollywood is grappling with box-office declines, major union strikes, and widespread job losses. Read what other filmmakers have said about Trump's tariff plans here.
