Sony joins China's Indian film boom with ‘102 Not Out'
SONY Pictures India is looking to tap into China's Bollywood boom with '102 Not Out', a family drama Sony Pictures China will bow in the Middle Kingdom on Nov. 30, marking the studio's first Indian release in the territory.
Based on a stage play by Saumya Joshi, '102 Not Out' stars Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan as a boisterous 102-year-old father to his conventional 76-year-old son played by veteran actor Rishi Kapoor. The film revolves around the father's aim of breaking the record for being the world's oldest person, a title held by a Chinese man.
Directed by Umesh Shukla, the title originally released this summer, and was the latest addition to Sony Pictures Entertainment India's Bollywood slate following the female hygiene drama PadMan. While India does not officially report box office figures, '102 Not Out' is estimated to have collected about US$10 million during its theatrical run.
Indian films have seen massive success at the Chinese box office as seen with superstar Aamir Khan's wrestling drama 'Dangal', which pulled in US$190 million last year. Khan, who has a huge fan following in China fuelled by the success of his earlier films '3 Idiots' and 'PK', delivered another hit last year with 'Secret Superstar', which earned US$119 million, besting the US$109 million China total of Marvel juggernaut 'Black Panther'.