Aamir Khan has consolidated his China crossover with the opening of Secret Superstar as the film collected a huge $4.25 million at 5 PM in China. Dangal had opened to $2.1 million but this is the film that made Aamir Khan a big star in China and now Secret Superstar consolidates that status. Secret Superstar is already more than double of Dangal with still time left to add to the total.
In fact today Aamir Khan is a bigger star in China than in India going by this response. The same Secret Superstar took a 6.15 crore GROSS opening in India and in China its looking to be a 35 crore GROSS or maybe even more. In India the film had nothing for the audience and even a big star has limitations if the film is not audience friendly. But in China the popularity of Aamir Khan has over ridden all factors which means a huge star pull. The film actually opened very well in that market while India it a was a dull start even allowing for Diwali Puja.
This crossover is very similar to Raj Kapoor in the 50's when films like Awaara, Shree 420 and Chori Chori got admissions in millions in Russia. The global crossover has never happened for actors for India as the mass audience of US / Canada and Europe has never accepted Indian actors in lead roles. People may have got work or applause for their work within the industry in the States but the public thumbs up has never come.
Here for Aamir Khan, the Chinese audience has give a huge thumbs up to him and he is probably among one of the biggest stars in China and that includes their local stars. The most important thing for a huge crossover like this is the look. Aamir Khan does not look Chinese but the height and body structure is like a conventional Chinese person and they can accept you as one of their own. Obviously the film and content has to appeal but that comes after because if you are not accepted then content will not matter. It would be impossible for an Akshay Kumar or Ajay Devgn to be accepted in China as they have a more Indian look and body structure
The look is the main reason why no Indian actor has succeeded in the West to be popular among the audience. Forget the West we have a North and South divide in India where Hindi films stars have limited appeal with the masses in Andhra or Tamil Nadu and its vice versa for the South stars in a Delhi or Punjab.
Secret Superstar was pretty much rejected in India and whatever it did was because of Aamir Khan who managed to give it a good week on Diwali but the emotions in the film just did not work due to the strory telling style of the director.
Now it remains to be seen if its just the Aamir Khan factor in China also or has the film got something for China which it did not have for India.
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