Sridevi's 'English Vinglish releases in China and Chinese state-run Global Times hails Indian film

11 years after its release, Sridevi Kapoor's Bollywood movie 'English Vinglish' has seen the light of day in Mainland China.

The movie has not opened to a solid start at the box office due to a low screen rate, but it met with good reviews. 'English Vinglish' clashed with Chinese films 'A Guilty Conscience', 'Like Father and Son' and 'Mammoth' and the English language film 'The Son'. In addition to it, it faced competition from domestic blockbusters such as 'The Wandering Earth II' and 'Full River Red'. Hence, the business of Sridevi-starrer was not great.

The film released when Sridevi fans remembered her on her fifth death anniversary (February 24). It is interesting to note that her 'Mom', which saw the light of the day much later, hit the screens in China in 2019.

According to China's state-run Global Times, Chinese netizens have liked the story and brilliant performance of Sridevi. The film has a high score of 8.2/10 on Chinese media review platform Douban. "We are excited for the audience in China to marvel at this masterpiece showcasing one of the most memorable performances by the late Bollywood superstar Sridevi," the Chinese daily quoted said Kumar Ahuja, COO of Eros International, as saying.

'English Vinglish is a comedy-drama directed by Gauri Shinde. The story is about how a housewife, mocked by her family for lack of her English skills, gains self-respect in society.

The Reason Why Chinese are Liking 'English Vinglish', the Global Times said, "The similarities in culture in Indian films mean they are able to resonate with Chinese audiences more easily, making Bollywood films an important channel for people-to-people exchanges between China and India. Shared topics that have gained attention in both countries cover education, family and personal growth."

China is one of the biggest markets for film industry in the world. However, the authoritarian government allows only 34 foreign movies to release in its country in a year.

Among the movies released in China, Aamir Khan's 'Dangal' remains the highest-grossing Indian movies in the country by minting 1.30 billion yuan ($186.5 million). His '3 Idiots' and 'PK' had performed well in this market.