Aamir Khan Brings ‘Dangal’ to China With Pani Puris

Aamir Khan brings ‘Dangal’ and pani puris to China.

Aamir Khan clicks a selfie with his Chinese fans. (Photo courtesy: Twitter)

Aamir Khan is in China to promote his new film Dangal.

• Fun fact: Dangal is titled Shuai Jiao Baba in China, which means “Let’s Wrestle, Father”.

The 51-year-old actor first reached Beijing where Dangal received a rousing reception when it was premiered at the Beijing International Film Festival. Aamir Khan was literally mobbed at the airport and at the screening of Dangal, as fans crowded around him for autographs and selfies.

Aamir Khan at the Beijing airport. (Photo courtesy: Twitter)

Aamir wears his Dangal cap made exclusively for China. (Photo courtesy: Twitter)

Aamir autographs a Chinese poster of Dangal. (Photo courtesy: Twitter) 

Aamir Khan with fans in China. (Photo courtesy: Twitter)

Aamir at the screening of Dangal in Beijing. (Photo courtesy: Twitter)

Special pani puri prepared by the Punjabi Indian restaurant in Beijing for the Dangal screening. (Photo courtesy: Twitter)

Aamir Khan feeds a host pani puri at the screening of Dangal in China. (Photo courtesy: Twitter)

Aamir Khan has a growing fan base in China ever since the release of 3 Idiots in December 2011. It became the first Indian film to be given the much sought-after ‘New Year release’ in China. The film was so popular among parents and college students in the country that it was reportedly prescribed in some Chinese universities as part of their coursework as a stress reliever for students.

Dhoom 3 got a wide release in China but was let down by abysmal marketing. However, the release of PK created a history of sorts. The Rajkumar Hirani film earned 35 million yuans (Rs 35 crore) in just 3 days of its release. PK which was heavily promoted by Aamir, Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra in China, went on to make over Rs 100 crore ($ 16.68 million) at the Chinese box-office - a first for any Bollywood film in an overseas territory.

And now all eyes are on Aamir’s Dangal which officially releases across China on 5 May. Meanwhile, Dangal has apparently released and is already a big hit in Taiwan, here’s Aamir Khan thanking his fans in Taiwan via video:

Will Dangal break PK’s record in China like it did back home? Looks tough, considering that the subject and patriotic theme of Dangal might resonate more with Indians, while the critique of blind faith might have struck a cord with the Chinese. But with growing popularity of Aamir Khan, there might be a surprise in store.