Vijay’s Mersal To Release In China

Actor Vijay’s Mersal will be the first Tamil film to release in China. The HGC Entertainment has bagged the rights for the film and plans to release it later this year or in early 2019.

A spokesperson for the producer, Sri Thenandal Films, told Silverscreen: “Mersal will be dubbed into Mandarin and released. It is the first Tamil film to be picked up by a Chinese entertainment company. It is a rare honour,” he said.

The film had released during the Deepavali holiday in 2017. Vijay took on three roles – a father and his two sons, while actors Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kamal Aggarwal and Nithya Menon played the female leads.

Read: Mersal Review: A High-Octane Masala Entertainer That Is About Vijay And For Vijay

The movie, directed by Atlee, took a strong stand against the medical industry. It’s portrayal of doctors and other medical practitioners stirred a controversy with many doctors registering their disapproval on social media.

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However, this aspect will probably work well with the Chinese audience who recently gave a similar film – Dying To Survive – a rousing reception. The film, about a man who imports medicine from India in order to circumvent the Chinese medical system was a box office success. The HGC’s intent behind the purchase of Mersal’s rights could be to cater to the audience demand for such subjects.

The success of content driven stories from India (Dangal, Bajrang Bhaijaan, Secret Superstar, Hindi Medium) is what propelled the entertainment company to buy Mersal, according to a Variety report.

“We found this to be a particularly touching story,” Li Ying, HGC president, told Variety.

Fans of actor Vijay have reacted with joy to the announcement. #MersalChina and #MersalOurPride have begun to trend on social media, with fans expressing their excitement that their favourite star has gained a platform in China. Many have pointed out that Mersal is the third South Indian film to secure a release in China, after Baahubali and Baahubali 2.