Baahubali 2 release in China: SS Rajamouli reveals how he wants to cash in on Dangal's success

Director SS Rajamouli, who is gearing up for the release of Baahubali 2 (Bahubali: the Conclusion) in China, revealed how he could use the success of Dangal in China to market his swan song starring Prabhas, Rana Daggubati and Anushka Shetty.

Baahubali 2 has made a historical collection at the worldwide box office. The film is scheduled to hit the screens in China in September. "The movie has already done wonders for us and whatever amount it earns in China will be a bonus for us. So there is no fear of its failure," the director told in an interview to TV9 Telugu.

Talking about its China release further, Rajamouli said, "We are eagerly looking forward to its release in China. India has just 8,000 screens, whereas China has over 40,000 screens. Entertainment is part of everyone's life there. The country has large number of viewers as well as cinema halls and it is a very good market. We have a good product with us and reaching everyone with a good screen count is a challenge.

"To make an impact on the audience, a movie needs to be released in at least 12,000 to 15,000 screens in the country. But there will be a minimum of six new releases every week. Amidst this competition, we need to choose proper timing for its release. I think everything is set as we have a good distributor. So we are eagerly waiting," Rajamouli added.

When quizzed why he is going for a September release, SS Rajamouli said, "The process takes a lot of time in China, as the paper work needs to pass through several bureaucrats. After we deliver the first copy of the film, paper work alone will take 2.5 to 3 months as it needs to pass through various departments. Its dubbing will also take place in that country. So this process is very time-consuming."

Dangal has collected over Rs 1,150 crore at the China box office. A lot of comparisons are made between Dangal and Baahubali 2. Rajamouli said, "I am also interested in it. I congratulate the Dangal team for its massive success, which none expected. Collecting $200 million is not an easy thing considering its a simple sentimental story of a father and his daughters. It's because of its emotional quotient, the movie has become such a huge success."

"I am very happy for Dangal success because it is an Indian story and Indian way of storytelling. That would definitely help Baahubali 2. It is also a movie made in India and the film minted more money than Dangal. All these can be marketing ploys and they will help us. The platform is set and we have to see how our movie will start and how the word of mouth will boost its collection," SS Rajamouli said.