'Dangal' a film to be proud of, says top Chinese leader

Aamir Khan's blockbuster Dangal, which has earned over Rs 1,000 crore in China, has been described by a senior Chinese leader as a "great film" and an example of "cooperation among BRICS nations".

In a meeting with a group of editors and journalists here for the BRICS Media Forum, Liu Yunshan, a member of the Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee, said Dangal was one of the most "successful and influential" films shown in China in recent years.

"India and its media should be proud of what the film has achieved... It is a great example of cooperation among BRICS countries," said Liu, adding that "we media people should give greater coverage to this film".

"Dangal", which released here as "Let's Wrestle, Dad", is about a determined father in a patriarchal society, training his daughters to become world class wrestlers.

Aamir is one of the most popular Indian actors in China and the media here has been writing about the phenomenal success of the movie as it has struck a chord with the Chinese, also a male-dominated society.

The movie has grossed more than 1.2 billion RMB, said Liu, who met select BRICS Media Forum delegates at the Great Hall of the People.

That puts Dangal - released on May 5 across around 7,000 screens in China -- among the top foreign film grossers. "The Mermaid" is the highest-grossing movie (over 3 million RMB) in China, followed by likes of "Monster Hunt", "The Fate of the Furious" and "Furious 7".

Aamir spoke about how overwhelmed he was with the response to the sports drama.

"While we were hoping that Dangal connects with the people of China, not in our wildest dreams we thought that this is the kind of connect we would have. It was unprecedented. We are pleasantly surprised," said Aamir, whose PK, 3 Idiots Dhoom 3 also did well in China.

According to him, the reason it has become so huge is that the Chinese connected on an emotional level with the story, the characters and the moments.

"I have been reading their reactions on social media. They have been saying things like how the movie moved them... It made them realise what their parents went through. Many of them called up their parents and cried. It's a very emotional reaction."