The Chinese market for big-screen spectacles from India has not been high-yielding yet
China, an otherwise not-so-lucrative market for Indian films, changed its view about Bollywood when Aamir Khan’s Dangal hit the theatres. Since then, there has been a sea change in the release strategy of Indian films in the neighbouring nation. And banking on this is Yash Raj Films (YRF), hoping to recover the cost of Thugs of Hindostan in China.
The film, estimated to be made at a cost of Rs 300 crore, has been unable to even hit the Rs 150-crore mark on its home turf. This has led to huge disappointment for the industry. But the producers are not losing hope and are expecting to make up for the losses in China.
It looks like YRF is banking on Aamir Khan’s popularity among the Chinese audiences. Thugs of Hindostan will be Aamir’s sixth film to release there. Its predecessors have tasted success and all eyes are on whether the new Aamir offering will be able to achieve the same feat.
According to sources, the film is likely to release in China by January next year. In addition, the film has been re-edited to bring down the run time. From 2 hours 44 minutes, the film has been cut short to 2 hours 21 minutes, including credits. The film has also received the certificate from Chinese film authority.
Despite strong pre-sales and a record start, the film has not been able to recover its investment. Although few reports suggest that YRF may have received as estimated Rs 155 crore from the sale of its music, satellite and digital rights, there still remains a major chunk to recoup.
Hence, the company is relying on Chinese box office collections. But even that could be risky. The Chinese market for big-screen spectacles from India has not been high-yielding and that is because when it comes to larger-than-life experiences, movie-goers in China prefer Hollywood.
Aamir Khan’s Dhoom 3 was not a show-stealer. Same was the case with Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. However, smaller films like Hindi Medium and Hichki were welcomed with open arms in China.
Hence, even the Chinese distributors are not taking the risk of outright purchase of the film. They are, instead, looking at a profit-sharing deal, a Koimoi report said.
