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Salman Khan-starrer Bajrangi Bhaijaan has clocked ₹117.40 crore in the first week of its release in China.
The 2015 blockbuster follows in the footsteps of movies such as PK , Dangal and Baahubali 2 to breach the ₹100-crore revenue mark in China.
The Eros International- and SKF-produced film had grossed ₹320 crore in India.
“Strong word of mouth has translated into strong business,” tweeted Bollywood trade analyst Taran Adarsh.
The film was released in 8,000-odd screens in China. Salman Khan’s Tubelight , starring Chinese actor Zhu Zhu, had released last year and was a moderate success.
Asked if Eros plans to release other films in China, a company spokesperson said, “ Bajrangi Bhaijaan is just the first of the film associations Eros is exploring in China. Recognising the significant market, Eros is coming together with Kabir Khan for a travel drama, The Zookeeper (working title) and are confident this would be the first of the many films releasing from our catalogue.”
Earlier, Aamir Khan-starrer Dangal had become the top-earning Indian film of all time in China, after India-China co-production Kung Fu Yoga .
Production houses and distributors are looking at the Chinese market as the country has over 40,000 screens, whereas the number for India is only about 7,000 screens.
China, which has quotas for foreign films, increased the number from 34 to 39 films last year. Industry watchers estimate it to climb to 70 in coming years.
Of this, India has a quota for four movies, a number that grew from two following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Beijing in 2015.
The Chinese film market is dominated by Hollywood films. According to a PwC report, China is expected to overtake the US box office, growing to $10.3 billion.
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