According to a commerce ministry official, the department is likely to make a proposal to the ministry of external affairs to appoint Aamir as India’s brand ambassador to China
If political disputes are keeping India and China at an arm’s length, then it is the magic of cinema that is bringing them together. In the recent past, China has become an important overseas market for Indian movies. Keeping this in mind, India is trying its best to leverage this opportunity.
Aamir Khan has now become a household name in China is not news anymore. The success of films like Dangal, Secret Superstar, PK, 3 Idiots in the land of dragons is a proof of the popularity Khan enjoys in China. And this has got the government of India thinking of bringing Khan on board to represent the country’s services sector in China.
According to a commerce ministry official, the department is likely to make a proposal to the ministry of external affairs to appoint Aamir as India’s brand ambassador to China to boost services exports and narrow its trade deficit with China, reports Mint.
How big is the trade deficit gap between India and China?
The two countries, India and China, are working together to address the USD 51 billion trade deficit between them. The latter has agreed to draw a roadmap to address the imbalance.
In a written reply last year to the lower house, the then commerce and industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that India's trade deficit with China is a matter of concern and that efforts are being made to increase the overall exports.
How can Indian films open up doors for the country in China?
China, until now, was not an easy market to crack for Indian films due to its restricted foreign film quota which is 34 imported movies divided between Hollywood and other industries. Earlier, only two Indian films could enter the Chinese market but in 2017 that was changed and the number was brought upto 4 films in a year.
However, the market which was so far Hollywood-dominated has now got a taste of Indian films. The Aamir Khan-starrer Dangal became the highest grossing non-Hollywood film in China with earnings amounting to Rs 1,200 crore. And it is not just Dangal but Khan has host of box office hits to his name like PK that earned approximately Rs 123 crore, 3 Idiots that made Rs 16 crore and the recently released Secret Superstar that earned about Rs 760 crore.
Khan has not only got big business from China but lots of love from the Chinese people as well who fondly call him ‘Uncle Aamir’. And as Khan’s fan base is seeing an upward trend in the neighbouring country people are calling this actor one of India’s greatest cultural export to China.
Aamir has cracked that market which no other actor could do. Many moviegoers in China are not aware of other Khan’s of Bollywood. But thanks to Aamir India could finally cash in the world’s second-largest movie market.
In China, people have a love-hate relationship with India. They may not be happy with India’s stand on the Doklam issue but that does not stop them from appreciating what Aamir has to offer on the big screen.
Audiences love for Aamir in China is giving hope to people that India’s image may soften in the eyes of the Asian rival. And what could give an impetus to this idea is that the actor too has promoted the idea of improving India-China relations. While touring China to promote his film Secret Superstar along with his co-star Zaira Wasim the actor had said, “I want to do a film with Chinese and Indian talent,” he said. “It would be really wonderful … It would bring the two countries closer.”
Leader of both the countries have also encouraged film makers to act as cultural ambassadors. Beijing and New Delhi had inked an agreement in 2014 for film co-productions.