A new Indian movie is set to be screened on 3,500 theaters across China. The Bollywood film called "PK" (short for "peekay," the Hindi word for drunk) is about an alien who lands on Earth and begins questioning established Indian religious practices.
The movie stars Aamir Khan as the alien with nice abdominal muscles. The film earned 3 billion rupees ($65.5 million) just within six weeks of screening, making it the biggest grossing film in India.
"PK" is one among three Bollywood movies that will have major Chinese openings. China has always been the target of Indian filmmakers for many years now. The big country only allows 34 foreign films per year.
Released by Disney India's UTV Motion Pictures, the film recently stoked controversy upon the release of the movie poster showing Khan with no clothes on, and only a transistor radio to cover his genitals.
Earlier this month, "Happy New Year," another Bollywood film starring Shah Rukh Khan which tells the story of a bank heist, was screened in more than 5,000 theaters across China. The movie made history by being the biggest Indian film opening in China.
Another Indian movie titled "I," which stars Vikram, will be screened in more than 5,000 theaters across China. Incidentally, about 25 percent of the film was shot in China along the Li River in Guilin, Guangxi.
Last year, the Indian film "Dhoom 3" earned $3.4 million, while the movie "3 Idiots" which also stars Khan earned $1.15 million.
Ramji Natarajan of Travel Masters India said: "People in China are not aware of Indian movies. We are trying to make them aware. There is no market yet in China, but it is the market we should be focusing on. Tickets are about 1,000 rupees, for example, and there are 23,000 screens. So, it is a huge market."
Indian movie makers produce about 1,000 movies a year, and Indian ticket prices range from 50 to 250 rupees. India's growing number of middle class triggered the construction of additional theaters and an increased demand for dubbed Hollywood movies. All in all, this boosted the growth of Indian filmmaking. The entire Indian movie industry earned 138 billion rupees in 2013.
China Film Group has played an active role in the film screening initiative. The state-run agency is acting in accordance with President Xi Jinping's signed agreement in India during his visit last year. It states that China and India can collaborate in producing films that will cross the barriers of both countries.