Actor Ajay Devgn has won Best Foreign Actor award at the 27th China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival for his role in film Raid.
The four-day festival was held in Foshan and the winners were selected by the audience.
The fest is organised every year by CFA -- China Film Association which is associated with ICFS -- India China Film Society, founded by Kishor Jawade.
Set in Uttar Pradesh in the 1980s, Raid is based on real life events involving one of the most high profile income tax raids in India. Directed by Raj Kumar Gupta, it released in India on March 16 this year.
This is another step in the right direction for Indian films in a huge market like China. The sheer volume of cinema halls in China makes it one of the most important film markets in the world.
As per reports, China has more number of screens than the US, which is the most profitable market for films in the world. China surpassed US in terms of cinema screens in 2017.
A report in AP says: China had fewer than 20,000 cinema screens in 2013, but it has now surpassed the US, which had 40,759 indoor and drive-in screens as of July, according to the Washington, DC-based National Association of Theatre Owners. As of December 20, China had 40,917 screens, according to the national film bureau.
It further says: Box office takings are still much smaller in China, at more than USD 6.5 billion in 2015, compared to USD 11 billion in North America, including cinema advertising revenue.
There are just 23 screens per million Chinese, compared to 125 per million in the US, according to IHS Markit, a London-based market researcher.
The scenario has changed dramatically in recent years, especially for Indian films. Aamir Khan’s Dangal minted money in China. Films like Secret Superstar and Hichki also made good returns. Many other big Indian producers are planning to release their films in the country which will only improve the numbers.
In such a scenario, the only thing needed for an Indian film is social validation. That way, Indian films will be able to get into the core of the viewership pattern in the country. If a Hindi film wins at a film festival in China, it would mean a better penetration in the market.
So, Devgn winning at a Chinese film festival is likely to bring more good news for Bollywood.
(with inputs from IANS and AP)
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