Can ‘Kanaa’ Revive Indian Film Fortunes at the China Box Office?

“Kanaa,” an Indian-produced film from 2018 which tells the story of an aspiring woman cricketer and delves into issues of race and gender equality, will get a theatrical release in mainland China on March 18, 2022, according to Chinese state media.

It is only the second Tamil-language film to be released in China in recent years, after “2.0” in 2019. It is also the second Indian film to open in China this year after the January outing of “Chhichhore.”

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At the time of the “Chhichhore” release Chinese state media specified that the restart of Indian film releases after a two-year hiatus was linked to improving bilateral political relations between the two nations.

Indian films have enjoyed vasty differing receptions in China. Another sports drama, the Aamir Khan-starring “Dangal” holds the record with a $193 million haul earned in 2016.

That confirmed Khan as by far the biggest Indian star in China and allowed the Khan-produced “Secret Superstar,” to earn the rare privilege of a revenue-sharing import and release. (Most Indian films are granted only flat-fee import and release conditions which means that producers do not share in any box office upside.) Suitably incentivized, Khan toured China for a week for the promotion of “Secret Superstar” in early 2018 and helped propel the film to a $118 million haul.

India’s other top Indian stars have not enjoyed the same degree of success in China as Aamir Khan, who also notched a $116 million score with 2014’s “PK.”

The Ayushmann Khurrana-starring “Andhadhun” earned a hefty $46.6 million. Salman Khan-starring “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” earned $45.5 million in 2015. The late Irrfan Khan-starring “Hindi Medium” earned $32.2 million in 2017.

Other Indian titles have underwhelmed. Blockbuster fantasy action film “Baahubali: The Conclusion” earned only $11.2 million in China in 2017. Programmed into the January dead-zone, “Chhichhore” earned $3.2 million.

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