Aamir Khan draws huge crowds in China
BEIJING: Actor Aamir Khan’s Dangal has taken the box office in China by storm, and his current promotion here is drawing massive crowds.
Because of his avuncular looks, fans in China refer to Aamir, 52, as “Uncle Khan”.
Aamir first shot to fame in China through the movie 3 Idiots in 2011. It had appealed to Chinese millennials because of its depiction of excessive pressures faced by India’s engineering students, something they easily relate to.
Dangal, on the other hand, is based on the true story of an Indian wrestling champion who trained two of his daughters to become world- class wrestlers.
Moviegoers in China readily identify with India’s preference for sons and skewed sex ratio. For the role, Khan had undergone dramatic weight gain and loss, shedding 25 kg for the second phase of shooting to reflect the different age of his character.
“Just watched Dangal, have to say I laughed and cried a lot, and of course was moved,” a Chinese fan commented on
Just watched Dangal, have to say I laughed and cried a lot, and of course was moved. Thank you for always being concerned about social events, rights for girls, medicine, education… (You have) enlightened me in many ways.
Khan’s Weibo. “Thank you for always being concerned about social events, rights for girls, medicine, education… ( You have) enlightened me in many ways.”
“I really related to the story. The problems with the education systems in China and India are very similar,” said Wang Yang ( pseudonym), an avid fan of Aamir.
“He totally became an idol to me after I watched Truth Alone Triumphs,” Wang said.
Truth Alone Triumphs is a TV talk show hosted by Aamir that has aired on various channels in India since 2012. It mostly touches on sensitive social issues in India such as rape, female foeticide, child sexual abuse, domestic violence, untouchability and corruption in politics.
A number of those who have seen the film, including celebrities, have posted on how much they enjoyed the film on Chinese social media networks.
“At first, I liked Khan because he’s handsome, cute and is a versatile actor who aims for perfection.
But now I admire him for how he uses the power of being a public figure,” wrote Taitai (nickname), a Khan fan who runs the unofficial Aamir Khan Information Channel on Sina Weibo.
“He knows that countries need more than government efforts to develop. Society needs to have its awareness raised as well… I wish there could be celebrities like him in China,” Taitai added.
Chinese fan’s comment on Weibo