Vikram Bhatt Criticizes Trump's 100% Film Tariff as 'Knee-Jerk Reaction'

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt challenges US President Donald Trump's new 100% tariff on foreign films. He views it as a hasty decision negatively affecting American films needing international locations and believes it will minimally impact Indian cinema, which rarely enters the US market due to existing high costs.

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt has voiced his criticism of US President Donald Trump's recent decision to impose a 100% tariff on films produced outside the United States, describing it as a 'knee-jerk reaction' by the US government. According to Bhatt, the imposition includes elements that do not align with America's interests and its filmmaking community.

In a conversation with ANI, Bhatt pointed out that the new tariffs would significantly affect American productions that require foreign settings, particularly for films centered on events like World War I. He questioned the feasibility of shooting scenes in locations such as Antarctica within the US.

Discussing the impact on Indian cinema, Bhatt noted that the tariff would have little effect, as Indian films rarely enter the US market due to the high costs associated with distribution and exhibition. Bhatt expressed confusion over the necessity of such tariffs on Indian productions that typically do not rely on US locations for shooting.

President Trump announced the directive to the Department of Commerce and the US Trade Representative to begin implementing the tariffs, citing the decline of the US movie industry and foreign incentives luring American filmmakers abroad as a 'national threat.'

(With inputs from agencies.)