The Bollywood movie that’s beaten Star Wars at China’s box office

Bollywood is attracting Chinese film-goers with a Hindi-language hit that is outperforming Star Wars in a market that Hollywood has staked out for making big-budget blockbusters pay.

Secret Superstar, the tale of a 14-year-old Muslim Indian girl who strives to become a singer, has topped China’s box office since its local release on January 19, surpassing sales for Star Wars: Last Jedi, according to ticketing data provider Maoyan.

The second straight hit in China for Bollywood actor-producer Aamir Khan, Secret Superstar underscores how quickly the world’s second-biggest film market is evolving from franchise fare like Universal Pictures’ Fast & Furious instalments to a taste for films from all around the world.

Based on results from the past 12 months alone, hits from India, Thailand and Spain show China’s box-office may already be less blockbuster-centric than America’s.

The state-run Xinhua news agency made a diplomatic connection in an editorial: “Chinese film-goers’ appreciation of Aamir Khan’s films reflect the common aesthetic pursuit of the two countries, which should be extended from the cultural aspect to broader areas, including politics and the economy.”

Khan’s Dangal drew US$193 million in China last year, according to Boxofficemojo.com. By comparison, the biggest take for a foreign-language film ever in the North American market was US$128 million take for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon almost two decades ago.