Meet the Secret Superstar of China, from India: Aamir Khan
Bollywood actor Aamir Khan is shattering box office records left, right and centre. But can he transform his place in the hearts of everyday Chinese into a bridge between nations?
He is the movie star with many names. “India’s conscience” to Chinese media; “Guaranteed Sales” to film distributors, and nothing less than Nan Shen (Male God) to Mandarin-speaking silver screen lovers. Yet those most familiar with the man shattering record books for Bollywood films in China refer simply – and fondly – to “Uncle Aamir”.
The current excitement surrounds Khan’s latest movie, Secret Superstar, a 150-minute film that has become one of the most profitable films ever (it cost only US$2.4 million to produce but is expected to gross more than US$98 million in China alone). Indeed, the more than US$46 million it took in the first seven days since its China release last Friday was a record for an Indian movie in China, eclipsing even Hollywood hits such as James Cameron’s 2010 mega-hit Avatar.
WATCH: Secret Superstar trailer
The movie, a coming-of-age story about a Muslim teenage girl who dreams of fame as a singer and finds it after uploading a YouTube video, has struck a chord with Chinese audiences who see many of India’s social issues – the film tackles gender inequality and domestic violence, among others – reflected in their own experiences. The film – rated eight out of 10 on Douban, a viewer-led movie-ranking website similar to IMDb – has dominated discussions on Sina Weibo, China’s answer to Facebook, for days. Even Chinese state-run media has weighed in, with the online version of People’s Daily praising it for “touching the soul”.