"Bollywood In China"
Post on: January 6, 2018
Aamir Khan did it again … the man with the Midas touch! His hit wrestling movie “Dangal” is a big hit in China. It has taken China’s “cinefield” by storm. Within months of release, it managed to bring in a whopping US$200 million in the box office. This is no simple feat. It translates into being the top 20 highest-grossing films in China.
What is Dangal about?
Dangal is a movie loosely based on the life of Mahavir Singh Phogat. He is a man who stood by his convictions — A man who had the courage to go against societal norms. In a society which pressurises girls into marriage at a young age and where cooking is taught as a prerequisite to marriage, he taught his two daughters wrestling instead!
Being a former amateur wrestling champion, he coached them at a young age with military discipline. Yes, he was stricter than my army Enchik! Unyielding, to be exact. He trained his daughters with an iron fist and his word was final!
In his younger days, he was forced to abandon his ambition due to his dad’s pressure in getting a “proper job”. Hence he lived his dreams through his daughters. Hooray! his no-nonsensical attitude bore fruits. His daughters brought glory to his country. They both won gold medals for India at the Commonwealth Games – Geeta in 2010 and Babita in 2014.
This movie is much unlike the Bollywood cookie cutter — where the hero saves his damsel in distress and song and dance takes centre stage. Instead, it delves into the realities of life — a fight for gender equality. Moreover, this movie could serve as an inspiration to women to pursue male-dominated fields.
Who is Aamir Khan?
Aamir Khan is an actor, director and producer in Bollywood. He has established himself as one of the most distinguished actors of his generation. He subsequently made forays into film production — his first release Laagan was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001.
Together with Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, Aamir rules Bollywood. The 3 Kings or Khans are unrivalled after more than 2 decades in the industry. Their mutual respect for one another and off-screen friendship is the envy of many.
What’s the Hullabaloo?
My friends who are abreast with Bollywood teased me: “Why so Suaku?” they wondered, “Dangal was released in December 2016 and what’s all the fuss about?” In fact, Aamir was in Singapore recently to promote another of his latest movie.
However, Dangal’s still abuzz in some countries — it has not fizzled out as yet! The ripples can still be felt and hence this piece, albeit a little overdue … Moreover, this article can serve as a stimulus for those who’ve missed the movie.
The Jolly Good Times hopes you’ve enjoyed a glimpse of the glitter (although absent in this case) of Bollywood! Share it with your kakis — invite them to like us on Facebook. #BollywoodInChina #JollyGoodTimes
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