Shekhar Kapur Criticizes Trump's Tariff Threat on Foreign Films

Veteran filmmaker Shekhar Kapur weighed in on President Donald Trump's threat to impose a 100% tariff on films produced abroad and imported into the United States, a move Kapur argues might backfire.

In a Sunday night statement on his Truth Social platform, Trump announced he had authorized the Department of Commerce and the Office of the US Trade Representative to levy these tariffs, which he views as a protectionist measure to bolster the struggling American film industry.

Kapur, known for his acclaimed films 'Mr India', and the 'Elizabeth' series, noted that approximately 75% of Hollywood's box office comes from international markets. He warned that Trump's policy could ironically drive Hollywood's film production overseas, contrary to Trump's intentions. Meanwhile, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap tacitly acknowledged Trump's remarks with an Instagram story.

Trump described the strategy by foreign nations to attract US filmmakers with incentives as a potential national security threat, accusing these countries of engaging in propaganda and malign messaging.

(With inputs from agencies.)