Movie World
Bollywood Films that excelled in box-office in China – Part 2
Secret Superstar
By Dinesh Kamath
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. Movie ‘Secret Superstar’ directed by Advait Chandan impressed
the audience in China to the extent that they have made some big bucks at the
cash counters there. In fact the Box-office collection in China is Rs 831.47
crore.
Secret Superstar was made on a low
budget and the film went on to become one of the biggest hits of 2017. Though
the film did well in the Indian market, it surpassed some big names at the
box-office in China. The film starred Aamir Khan, Zahira Wasim and Meher Vij in
crucial parts. A story about an ambitious young girl, Insia, who wants to
become a singer struck a chord with millions of people. The young girl faces
opposition from her father but undeterred, she strives to follow her passion by
anonymously posting her songs on the Internet. Well, this one was definitely a
surprise hit and came as a breath of fresh air.
Secret Superstar is a 2017 Indian
musical drama film, written and directed by Advait Chandan, and produced by
Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao. The film stars Zaira Wasim, Meher Vij, Raj Arjun and
Aamir Khan. The film tells the coming-of-age story of a teenage girl who
aspires to be a singer, uploading videos on YouTube while disguising her
identity with a niqab, and her relationships with her mother, father and
mentor. The film deals with social issues including feminism, gender equality
and domestic violence.
The film received positive reviews
from critics. Wasim won the National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement.
Secret Superstar received ten nominations at the 63rd Filmfare Awards,
including Best Film, Best Director for Chandan, Best Actress for Wasim, and
Best Supporting Actor for Khan. It won three Filmfare Awards, including Best
Actress (Critics) for Wasim, Best Supporting Actress for Vij, and Best Playback
Singer (Female) for Meghna Mishra.
Secret Superstar became one of the
most profitable films of all time, grossing ₹965 crore ($154 million) worldwide
on a limited budget of ₹15 crore (US$2.1 million), with over 6,000% return on
investment (ROI). It is also the highest-grossing Indian film featuring a
female protagonist, the highest-grossing 2017 Hindi film, the third
highest-grossing Indian film worldwide, and the second highest-grossing Indian
film overseas. In China, it is the fifth highest-grossing foreign film of 2018,
and the second highest-grossing non-English foreign film ever (after Dangal).
Its opening weekend in China had the highest single-territory weekend gross for
a 2017 Hindi film, entering the worldwide weekend box office at number-two,
with the highest single-territory gross that weekend.
Release in China
Aamir Khan announced in late
October 2017 that he would be planning to release Secret Superstar in China
over the next one or two months. The film released in China on 19 January
2018.[54][55] It is the first Indian film to have a revenue-sharing deal, which
is usually reserved for big Hollywood films. Khan's share of Chinese box office
revenue will be 25%, compared to his 12.5% share for Dangal. Secret Superstar
was released on 11,000 screens in China.
Secret Superstar's China premiere
was in Beijing on 16 January 2018, and was attended by director Advait Chandan,
actress Zaira Wasim, and singer Meghna Mishra. Khan could not attend, but
planned to visit China shortly after the film's release. The premiere was also
attended by Chinese filmmakers such as Peter Chan, Tsai Yueh Hsun, Daming Chen,
and Zhang Jiajia, and Chinese actors such as the Luu Brothers. The film's
reception at the premiere was positive, which includes Hong Kong filmmaker
Peter Chan calling it his second-favourite Indian film after 3 Idiots (2009),
and writer-director Zhang Jiajia being impressed with the film's theme of
empowering women to pursue their dreams. Upon release, the film was promoted
with a manhua comic featuring Aamir Khan with the same title as the film.
Khan began his tour of China on 22
January 2018, and was greeted by film star Deng Chao upon arrival. He visited
Shanghai, where he was welcomed by large crowds of fans. He then visited
Beijing, where he attended the "Red Carpet for Aamir Khan and His
Friends" event with Chandan and Wasim, then the Chinese-Indian Film Forum,
and the film's press conference. The Chinese-Indian Film Forum, held by CCTV,
was attended by a number of Chinese directors, stars, and film critics,
including Chinese filmmaker Yu Baimei and Hong Kong filmmaker Stanley Tong, as
well as former Olympic champion Liu Guoliang with whom Khan played a
competitive ping pong (table tennis) match. Khan was also greeted by
actor-singer Huang Bo, as well as other film stars including Liu Yifei[70] and
Jackie Chan in video messages.
Box office in China
In China, the film earned US$9.9
million (₹43 crore) in ticket presales by 15 January 2018. Upon release on 19
January 2018, Secret Superstar topped the Chinese box office with a 25.3%
market share, followed by Zhang Ziyi starrer Forever Young with a 16% share. By
the end of its opening day, Secret Suparstar had grossed US$7.03 million (₹46
crore), surpassing Dangal's US$2.35 million opening to become the biggest debut
for an Indian film. The film grossed US$11 million on its second day, remaining
at the top of the box office. Its initial two-day gross in China was US$18
million (₹117 crore) by 20 January 2018, surpassing the film's lifetime India
gross, as well as surpassing Dangal's initial two-day China gross of ₹44.97
crore (US$6.3 million).
Secret Superstar's opening weekend
gross was US$29.2 million (₹200 crore), after its show count rose from 56,000
screenings on Friday to 63,000 on Sunday. It topped the Chinese box office in
its opening weekend, despite crowded competition, from Chinese films such as
Forever Young and A Better Tomorrow 2018 as well as Hollywood films such as
Ferdinand, Wonder, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Secret Superstar's opening weekend gross in China more than doubled its
lifetime gross in India. It set the record for the highest opening weekend
gross for an Indian film in China, surpassing Dangal, and is the second Indian
film in less than a year to top the Chinese box office, after Dangal. Secret
Superstar also became the second-highest-grossing Indian film in China,
surpassing PK and behind only Dangal. Secret Superstar's weekend gross in China
is also the highest single-territory weekend gross for a 2017 Hindi film,
surpassing the opening-weekend India gross of Tiger Zinda Hai (₹175 crore) and
the Hindi version of Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (₹128 crore).
In four days, the film grossed $33
million (₹215 crore) in China. On its fifth day, its daily show count increased
to over 64,000 screenings, and it gained a 33.7% market share of the Chinese
box office. In six days, the film grossed $43 million, surpassing the lifetime
China gross of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Secret Superstar's first-week gross in
China was $47.1 million (₹307 crore), a record for an Indian film and
surpassing the first-week gross of Avatar (2009) in China. On its second
Friday, new Hollywood release Maze Runner: The Death Cure took the top spot,
before Secret Superstar regained the top spot on Sunday, grossing $20 million
in its second weekend. It crossed the ₹400 crore milestone within nine days,
and beat Maze Runner to top the weekly box office with $41 million, giving a
cume of $70 million grossed in ten days by 28 January 2018, compared to Dangal
which grossed ₹417 crore (US$58 million) in two weeks. Secret Superstar grossed
$77 million in 13 days, surpassing the lifetime China gross of Dwayne Johnson
starrer Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle to become China's highest-grossing
foreign film in the first quarter of 2018. In two weeks, Secret Superstar
grossed $80 million.
It topped the box office again in
its third weekend with $12 million, beating seven new releases, including Hugh
Jackman starrer The Greatest Showman, Chinese films Till the End of The World
and Boonie Bears: The Big Shrink, and Japanese film Miracles of the Namiya
General Store. Secret Superstar also topped the weekly chart again with $26
million, giving a cume of $96 million grossed in 17 days by 4 February 2018.
The film remained at the top of the box office in its fourth weekend with $8.7
million, and it topped the weekly box office again with $19 million. As of 18
February 2018, the film's China gross is $124.4 million (₹810 crore), from an
audience of 25 million viewers. It was China's third-highest-grossing film in
the first quarter of 2018, behind only two domestic productions, and one of the
top 70 highest-grossing films ever in China. It also surpassed Japanese anime
film Your Name to become the second-highest-grossing non-English foreign film
ever in China, after Dangal, and the third-highest-grossing non-English foreign
film in any market, after Dangal in China and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
(2000) in North America. Secret Superstar was also the highest-grossing foreign
film in China during the first quarter of 2018, ahead of Hollywood films
including Black Panther, Pacific Rim: Uprising, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,
Tomb Raider, Maze Runner: The Death Cure and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
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