Bollywood continues to create ripples in China. Irrfan Khan’s comedy drama Hindi Medium has recorded an unprecedented opening day collections of Rs 24.31 crore in the neighbouring country, beating the first day earnings of blockbusters like Aamir Khan’s Dangal (Rs 12.99 crore) and Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan (Rs 14.61 crore).
Hindi Medium, starring Pakistani actor Saba Qamar alongside Khan and directed by Saket Chaudhary, was a sleeper hit in India, making nearly Rs 70 crores in the box office, more than tripling its Rs 23 crore budget. The story was based on a Delhi couple struggling to secure admission to a fancy, English-medium school for their daughter.
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Hindi Medium only adds to the list of Indian films that have been making a mark in the Chinese market. Last month, Salman Khan-starrer Bajrangi Bhaijaan released in China to a phenomenal response, crossing the Rs 100-crore mark within a week of its release. Before Kabir Khan’s cross-border drama, Bollywood’s success story in China had been driven single-handedly by Aamir Khan’s films.
Indian films with their strong emotional connect have found resonance with Chinese audiences, who are used to either Hollywood spectacles or Chinese mythologies and fantasies. Which is why, as critics reiterate, Dangal which is about a strong father-daughter bond or Bajrangi Bhaijaan, about a golden-hearted simpleton saving the world, have worked so well with the Chinese audiences.