Salman Khan's Bajrangi Bhaijaan released in China on March 2, expecting to earn big like Aamir Khan's movies. The Dangal actor's last year's flick Secret Superstar was a blockbuster in the Chinese market.
Now, the Chinese-dubbed version of Bajrangi Bhaijaan has released across 8,000 screens in China. But will it be able to beat Aamir's Secret Superstar's record? Bajrangi Bhaijaan has opened to a good response at the China box office, if we are to go by viewers' reactions on social media.
Zaira Wasim-starrer Secret Superstar, which released in China in January this year, earned Rs 43.35 crore on its first day and then crossed the Rs 750-crore mark in four weeks. Aamir has a huge fan following in China, and we wonder whether Salman will be able to build such a fan base there.
Shah Rukh Khan's Happy New Year didn't work at the box office in China. So, Salman has a big ask in front of him.
However, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, directed by Kabir Khan, might work at the China box office because of its storyline, which talks about cross-border friendship. The opening collection of the 2015 Salman movie in India was Rs 27.25 crore, and its lifetime collection was Rs 320.34 crore.
The announcement that the Salman-starrer would be released in China was made in January this year. It came just two days after Secret Superstar was released in the neighboring country.
"China has emerged as an important market and major box office earner for Indian films in recent years," Economic Times had quoted Jyoti Deshpande, Group CEO at Eros International, as saying.
"Our Indo-China co-productions are still in the making. Meanwhile what better film than Bajrangi Bhaijaan starring one of India's most loved superstars that weaves the universal story of cross-border friendship to release in a market like China?"
Apart from Salman, Bajrangi Bhaijaan also featured Kareena Kapoor Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Meher Vij. Child actor Harshaali Malhotra played the lead role in it alongside the Sultan actor. Interestingly, Meher plays a pivotal part in Secret Superstar as well. Hopefully, her luck will work wonders for Kabir Khan's film as well.
