March 8, 2017
Irrfan Khan-starrer "Hindi Medium" will hit the big screens
in China on April 4, following the success of movies by Bollywood stars Aamir
Khan and Salman Khan in the country.
China has a quota on the number of
overseas movies that can be screened in the country each year. But Indian films
are finding increased presence there.
For the release of "Hindi Medium",
which takes a comical look at the underbelly of India's education system, the
Chinese authorities opted for the film's teaser poster instead of the main
poster.
Producer Bhushan Kumar of T-Series said in a statement: "There's
a unique twist in this tale. 'Hindi Medium' is content-driven and even though
Irrfan is an internationally recognised talent, the Chinese distribution body
opted for our teaser concept which shows the feet of a man, one representing
poverty and the other representing material wealth."
The poster reflects
the disparities in society and as the film "Hindi Medium" does, the image holds
a mirror up to our society where the ability to speak fluent English is
ignorantly considered a yardstick to measure sophistication and elitism.
Producer Dinesh Vijan of Maddock Films said: "This is exactly what made 'Hindi
Medium' so significant. The idea that we give importance to material wealth and
our social image over the value of humanness and love baffles me, but sadly it's
what drives most of society and portraying this in a light yet meaningful form
is what resonates with audiences universally."
"Hindi Medium", directed
by Saket Chaudhary, also features Pakistani actress Saba Qamar.
Of late,
Aamir's "Secret Superstar" and Salman's "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" -- the actor's first
movie to release in China -- have done well in the country.
According to
film producers and distributor, the Chinese audience is receptive to Indian
stories irrespective of whether a movie features a 'star'.
At the
recently concluded Ficci Frames 2018, there was a discussion on the appeal of
Indian films in China.
On whether Aamir's popularity is working in favour
of his films, Prasad Shetty, Director, China Peacock Mountain Group, said: "I
know people are talking about his popularity in China, but the fact is that he
really worked hard to connect with people of China. He went there, interacted
with people and that makes a difference to earn popularity.
"However, I
believe that the audience in China always connects with our stories. I have been
living in China for eight years and most of the cab drivers can sing Raj
Kapoor's 'Awaara hoon'. So, the Bollywood fans in China have existed for a long
time. We are only exploring the market now."
Seconding this, Ajit Thakur
of Eros Entertainment, said: "All of our films are working there... 'Bajrangi
Bhaijaan' features Salman Khan, and that film is also working very well at the
box office over there."
When asked if only big budget films work in
China, Shetty said: "'Hindi Medium' will release in China. That is a
content-heavy film."