Aamir Khan, a well-known figure in China thanks to his two films Dangal and Secret Superstar, is reportedly being considered for the position of India’s brand ambassador to the country. According to a Mint report, the idea of having him on board is to cash in on his popularity there, boost services exports and narrow the trade deficit with China.
“Aamir Khan has won the hearts of millions of common Chinese citizens. He can create tremendous goodwill for India in China. He can be our brand ambassador to China and present our prowess in services sectors,” a commerce ministry official told Mint.
Dangal’s success story has been touted as India’s growing soft power despite the India-China tension over Doka La.
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India’s popularity in the country grew when Dhoom 3 and PK became box-office successes. Dangal took the cake home and has been recognised as the fifth highest-grossing non-English language film worldwide. This was followed by Secret Superstar, having earned Rs 800 crores there.
According to the Mint report, China, despite Aamir Khan succeeding there, remains a challenging market for Indian film producers. The Chinese government works with a strict quota system restricting the number of non-Chinese film releases to 40-50 a year, and only two Indian films. Most Indian film producers tie up with local Chinese distributors who are well-versed with the exhibition market.
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