Dinesh Kamath's column 'Movie World: Bollywood Films that excelled in box-office in China – Part 4 (Andhadhun)' that was published in Newsband

Movie World

Bollywood Films that excelled in box-office in China – Part 4

Andhadhun

By Dinesh Kamath

Andhadhun crossed the Rs 300 crore mark at the box-office in China. There are other few films too that have done broken the box-office there. China has become a big market for Bollywood films and almost every big film that hits the theatres in India is released there to gain more profits as the country has proved to be quite beneficial for the makers. Ayushmann Khurrana’s Andhadhun is one of them. This film has impressed the audience in China to the extent that it has made big bucks at the cash counters there. Here’s how the film Adhadhun pulled the audience to the theatres in huge numbers in China.

Ayushmann Khurrana, Radhika Apte and Tabu nailed their respective parts in the film. Andhadhun, a thriller, kept the audience engrossed till the last minute. The story about Akash, a piano player pretending to be visually-impaired finds himself amidst a chaotic situation after he witnesses a murder. The story, as well as the power-packed performances, are the highlights of this hit. This film’s box-office collection in China is Rs 303 crore and counting. The film is well directed by Sriram Raghavan.

Andhadhun (transl. The blind melody) is a 2018 Indian black comedy crime thriller film co-written and directed by Sriram Raghavan. Produced by Matchbox Pictures and distributed by Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Eros International, the film stars Tabu, Ayushmann Khurrana and Radhika Apte and tells the story of a piano player who unwillingly becomes embroiled in the murder of a former film actor.

Its script was written by Raghavan, Arijit Biswas, Pooja Ladha Surti, Yogesh Chandekar and Hemanth Rao. The film was edited by Surti, and K. U. Mohanan was its director of photography. Amit Trivedi composed songs for the film while Jaideep Sahni wrote the lyrics. Raftaar and Girish Nakod composed and wrote a song as a guest composer.

Hemanth Rao (a friend of Raghavan) suggested in 2013 that he watch L'Accordeur (The Piano Tuner), a 2010 French short film about a blind pianist. Raghavan liked the film, and decided to work on a script based on it. Khurrana was cast in the lead role after he contacted Raghavan and expressed an interest in working with him. The film was shot in 44 days spread over more than a year in Pune; principal photography began in June 2017, and ended on 17 July 2018.

Andhadhun was released by Viacom18 Motion Pictures theatrically (in India) on 5 October 2018 to widespread acclaim, with critics highlighting the writing and Khurrana and Tabu's performances. Produced on a budget of ₹32 crore (US$4.5 million), the film grossed ₹431.53 crore (US$60 million) at the worldwide box office, the majority from China. At the Screen Awards ceremony, the film won four awards, including Best Director and Best Screenplay. It also won five Filmfare Awards, including Best Film (Critics) and Best Actor (Critics) for Khurrana.

Release in China

Although Andhadhun was scheduled for release on 31 August, it was postponed until 5 October; the producers announced the delay in a trailer. Raghavan originally wanted the film's trailer to only contain sounds (no video, since it was the story of a blind man), but the studio was "shocked" at his suggestion. After several discussions, they agreed on a trailer. Raghavan "didn't want to give away too many things about the film" in the trailer, and the studio eventually accepted his viewpoint. The trailer was released on 2 September 2018. The film was released on 800 screens across India, and is available on Netflix. It was screened at the 2019 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles where Tabu was honoured. Andhadhun was released in China as Piano Player on 3 April. 2019.

Box office in China

Andhadhun was produced on a budget of ₹32 crore (US$4.5 million), and earned ₹2.50 crore (US$350,000) on its first day. The film's box office increased with positive word of mouth, and it grossed ₹5.10 crore (US$710,000) on its second day. It earned ₹15 crore (US$2.1 million) in its first weekend, and grossed ₹41.05 crore (US$5.7 million) in ten days. The film became profitable before its theatrical release through satellite, music and digital rights. At the end of its six-week theatrical run, Andhadhun earned ₹101 crore (US$14 million) at the box office (mainly from Mumbai). The film also did well internationally, earning ₹10.37 crore (US$1.4 million).

Prior to its release in China, the film had grossed ₹106 crore (US$15 million) worldwide, including ₹95.63 crore in India and $1.4 million (₹10.37 crore) overseas. In China, the film surpassed its Indian lifetime collection within six days. The film has grossed $46.60 million (₹325.53 crore) in China, for a worldwide total of ₹431.53 crore (US$60 million).