Anurag Basu, the director of the recently released musical romantic drama Metro… In Dino, sees a potential silver lining in former U.S. President Donald Trump's recent announcement of a proposed 100% tariff on all movies made outside the United States. Trump made the announcement on Truth Social, claiming that other countries have "stolen" America's movie-making business.
Basu believes the tariff could be a "blessing in disguise" for the Indian film industry if India responds with similar tariffs on Hollywood films. In an interview with Zoom, Basu stated that higher ticket prices for foreign blockbusters in India would drive audiences to domestic films, potentially offsetting any revenue loss in the U.S. market. He described this scenario as "box-office karma with better exchange rates".
According to Basu, reciprocal tariffs could lead to a significant shift in viewing preferences, benefiting the local film industry both culturally and financially. He feels that it might encourage Indian audiences to choose local films, which could strengthen the industry in the long term.
Trump's announcement has sparked varied reactions from the Indian film industry. While the specifics of the proposed tariff remain unclear, particularly regarding its effect on foreign films with a large diaspora audience in North America, some Indian filmmakers view the development with cautious optimism.
Shibasish Sarkar, President of the Producers Guild of India, believes that Trump's plan aims to protect local U.S. jobs and investments rather than targeting international films broadly. He noted that foreign-language films releasing in the U.S. may not be significantly affected, but the exact impact will depend on the executive orders yet to be released.
Other Indian filmmakers, like Pan Nalin, believe that the proposed tariffs would not have a dramatic impact on Indian films. Nalin argues that only a small percentage of India-produced films are released theatrically in the U.S., mainly in areas with a large Indian diaspora population. He suggests that audiences may end up paying higher ticket prices, but beyond the Indian and South Asian diaspora, the business for Indian films in America is almost negligible.
Metro… In Dino, directed by Anurag Basu, is considered a spiritual sequel to his 2007 film Life in a... Metro. The film features an ensemble cast, including Konkana Sen Sharma, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Roy Kapur, and Sara Ali Khan. The movie is a musical romantic drama that explores love, longing, infidelity, and morality in urban cities.
