Former US President Donald Trump has recently made a big statement and talked about imposing a 100 percent tariff on foreign films. His proposal has not only come as a big blow to the global cinema industry, but has also created a wave of concern in the Indian film industry. Many famous Bollywood filmmakers have reacted to this and raised serious questions about its possible impact.

Reacting to this decision, film producer-director Mahesh Bhatt said that this decision was already anticipated, but now the real question is how deep its impact will be. He said, "There is a good demand for Indian films, especially Telugu films, in America and this tariff will have a direct impact on the film business." Giving an example, he said that earlier where distributors used to spend Rs 100 on a film, now they will have to pay Rs 200 for the same film, which will affect both the speed and number of film distribution.

At the same time, filmmaker Vikram Bhatt believes that the impact of this tariff will be limited on Indian cinema. He says that the reach of Indian films in the American market is already very limited and only big budget films are able to reach there. The foreign market is already limited for small and medium budget films. Vikram Bhatt also said that when our films are not shot in America and do not affect the economy there, then it is not logical to impose heavy taxes on them.

Director Vivek Agnihotri gave the sharpest reaction on this issue. On May 5, he wrote on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), "Trump's imposition of 100% tariff on films can prove to be disastrous for the Indian film industry. If this decision is implemented, the industry which is already in crisis will be completely destroyed." Vivek appealed to the leaders of the Indian film industry to unite against this crisis and not only get entangled in paparazzi, selfies and awards, but to face this threat.

This proposal of Donald Trump has not only worried the filmmakers but has also raised the question whether such tariffs on films will not affect the exchange of global art and culture. Now it remains to be seen what further steps the US administration takes in this direction and how the Indian film industry reacts against it.