Bollywood in China, Land of Mesmerising Contradictions

Bollywood is bringing several countries closer to India, and China is also one of them. Here are the various Indian movies that have been shot in China, and an insight into how the Chinese market looks for Indian films.

We all are already aware of the ‘China Story’ and its galloping growth. Its growing economy is not only boosting business travel, the easing of restrictions on movement by the Chinese authorities is helping the travel industry in China to boom as well.

Bollywood filmmakers have already shot in China – the birthplace of Kung Fu, and it seems more and more filmmakers will head to this world superpower, considering its size and the variety of locations it has to offer.

The passionate romance, emotions and family bonding, shown in Bollywood films, touches a cord with several Chinese, especially the women, who’re now becoming big fans of Bollywood.

Did You Know? Mainland China is India’s second-largest film market, after the US. China is also slated to become the world’s largest movie market next year, displacing the US, in the next few years.

Movies Shot in China

Some of the prominent Indian films that were shot in china include:

Chandni Chowk To China (Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone)
Jeans (Aishwarya Rai, Music by A.R Rahman)

The popular places that you can see in these movies include:

Forbidden City, Beijing, China

Great Wall Of China, China

Bollywood Actress ‘Lara Dutta’ With Daughter Saira At The Great Wall of China

Chinese Language in Bollywood Films

Bollywood movie ‘Hasee Toh Phasee’ (starring Sidharth Malhotra & Parineeti Chopra) did extremely well at the box-office.

But did you know that Parineeti Chopra learnt ‘Mandarin’ for the movie, as she had several Chinese dialogues?

There are several sequences in the movie where Parineeti had to speak Chinese, and to add authenticity to the scenes, the filmmakers thought it was best that Miss Chopra learnt the language.

Parineeti is more than happy to have learnt a new language (Mandarin), and that too the most widely spoken language on the planet.

Chinese Also Love Indian Films

Though they may not know a lot about India and the hindi language, dubbed Bollywood films are quite popular in China.

Raju Hirani’s movies like “3 Idiots”, “Munnabhai M.B.B.S.” and “Lage Raho Munna Bhai” are a big favorites with the Chinese, especially “3 Idiots” which conveys that one should follow their hearts when choosing a profession. Many have also watched movies like “Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham”, “Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge” on the internet (with English subtitles).

Now even the commerce ministry of India feels that India should be showing more Bollywood films in China, considering its size and the business potential. To do that, they are already in talks with China’s official state film importer, China Film Group Corporation.

Bollywood movies like Veer, Krrish and My Name is Khan were screened in China, but did not get a good response from the audience. Now they have lined up movies like Dhoom 3, Queen, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and a few others.

Also Read: Aamir Khan, a superstar in China.

Chinese reporter sings classic Bollywood tune at BRICS summit

At the BRICS summit in Xiamen (China), Tang Yuangai, a Chinese radio journalist, spoke to Indian media in Hindi and even sang the Lata Mangeshkar classic “aaja re” from the 1979 Bollywood film ‘Noorie’.

The journalist studied Hindi in Beijing University and Delhi University, and also happens to be a fan of Bollywood movies. A special mention came for Aamir Khan’s ‘Dangal’ that had a dream run in China.

Here’s the video.

“As a Hindi learner, I have travelled to India and met many Indians. I think Indians are very honest and nice people and that’s why I love India so much,” said Ms Yungai (says her hindi name is “Sapna”).

Events in China
To celebrate 60 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China, a Festival of India along with business events were organised recently (by the Embassy of India in Beijing with the support of Indian Council for Cultural Relations & Consulate General of India in Shanghai) in several cities in China.

‘Ticket to Bollywood’, a spectacular Bollywood dance performance by a Mumbai based dance group, was organised in the cities of Nanjing, Quzhou and Wuxi.

Anil Kapoor & Anupam Kher with industrialist Anil Ambani and one of China’s most famous Directors Zhang Yimou (directed Red Sorghum, House of Flying Daggers, Flowers of War) at the 14th Mumbai Film Festival in Mumbai – October 18, 2012 (AFP PHOTO)

China Tourism

Tourism in China has exploded over the last few decades since the beginning of reforms. China has now become one of the world’s most-watched and hottest inbound and outbound tourist markets.

Top attractions in China:

1. The Forbidden City or Palace Museum, at the center of Beijing
2. The Great Wall of China
3. Shanghai: Largest city in China
4. Karst Mountains in Yangshuo – Located in the south of China in Guangxi province
5. Hangzhou (Paradise on Earth) is a lovely city centered around the famed West Lake, full of gardens, tranquil temples and bustling historic streets
6. Jiuzhaigou Valley: Famous for crystal blue lakes and multi-level waterfalls.
7. Potala Palace, Lhasa: Traditionally the seat of the Dalai Lama, now its a Chinese museum,
8. Yangtze River Cruise: Shorter only than the Nile and Amazon.
9. Silk Road in China: With a history of over 2,000 years

What do you guys think? Will the Chinese find Indian culture and movies closely related to theirs, as compared to the Hollywood Movies? Let us know here…