Trump’s 100% Movie Tariff May Hike Ticket Prices for Indian Films in the US

Indian filmmakers and distributors are adopting a cautious stance following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 100 percent tariff on all movies “made outside of the United States.” While the policy could potentially raise ticket prices for Indian films in North America, industry leaders say it is too early to gauge the actual impact until further details are revealed.

Shibasish Sarkar, President of the Producers Guild of India, said Trump appeared to be primarily targeting US films shot abroad rather than foreign films releasing in the US. “If it applies to non-US films too, then producers will pass on the extra costs to audiences, which may hurt footfalls. Still, the overall impact on Hindi films would be marginal, as the US accounts for only 6-7 percent of their total revenue. South Indian cinema, especially Telugu and Tamil films, could see a larger hit of up to 5-6 percent,” he explained.

Distributors echoed similar concerns. Rajesh Thadani noted that the US has been a key market for Indian blockbusters such as Baahubali and KGF. “If the tariff affects ticket prices, audiences may shrink. The bigger question is whether this extends to streaming platforms like Netflix and Prime Video. That’s where clarity is needed,” he said.

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Exhibitor Akshay Rathi emphasized that the North American market is vital for Indian films, particularly Telugu releases. He suggested that US theatres might balance pricing strategies to ensure movie consumption is not severely disrupted. “We should wait for the fine print of the policy. Only then will its real impact be understood,” he added.

Other filmmakers, including Ramesh Taurani and producer Himanshu Mehra, criticized the ambiguity of Trump’s statements. Mehra pointed out the challenge of defining “imports” in the case of films, which are intellectual properties rather than physical goods. “If the extra cost is passed down, it’s the diaspora audience that will feel the pinch most,” he said.

For now, Indian filmmakers remain in a “wait and watch” mode, acknowledging that while the tariff could affect ticket sales in the US, the full scope of its enforcement—especially on streaming platforms—remains uncertain. Until Trump releases a detailed framework, the industry is left with speculation and concern, but little concrete direction.

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