Indian Filmmakers Weigh In On Trump’s 100% Film Tariff

India-West News Desk

LOS ANGELES, CA – President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement of a 100% tariff on all foreign-produced films entering the United States has rattled the global entertainment industry, with Indian filmmakers voicing both concern and caution.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump claimed the move was necessary to protect the “dying” American film industry, calling foreign production incentives a “national security threat.”

While the announcement lacks implementation details, Indian film producers are already assessing the possible fallout.

“It does raise concerns,” said veteran producer Anand Pandit, noting that Indian filmmakers are still grappling with shifting audience behavior. “The U.S. is a significant market, especially for big-ticket releases. We’ll need clarity on how this will be applied.”

Director-producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah echoed the uncertainty. “The real question is, who pays the tariff—Indian companies or their U.S. distributors?” he asked. However, Shah estimated that only 5–7% of Indian box office revenue comes from the U.S. and suggested that the move might even help the domestic industry. “If India responds with a similar counter-tariff, it might limit Hollywood’s dominance here,” he said. He added that he hopes the issue will be addressed in the ongoing U.S.-India trade negotiations.

Shekhar Kapur, filmmaker and industry observer, took a broader view. In a post on X, he warned that the tariff could backfire on Hollywood itself. “Over 75% of the box office of Hollywood films comes from outside the U.S.,” Kapur wrote. “And a significant part of their production budget is also spent overseas.” The new policy, he argued, could accelerate the shift of Hollywood productions to other countries.

The move follows an intensifying trade spat between the U.S. and China, with Beijing already reducing the number of Hollywood releases in its theaters. (with ANI inputs)