Bollywood is speaking to Chinese film-goers with a Hindi-language hit that’s outdrawing 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 19 January, 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.