Photo: Maoyan

The news that Indian film Chhichhore is set to be released in the Chinese mainland on January 7, 2022, has won applause from netizens in China and India as Bollywood films have always enjoyed high popularity among Chinese moviegoers. Additionally, this makes for a great opportunity for the Indian film to take advantage of a drop in Hollywood films in the Chinese mainland to share a piece of the pie in the world's largest film market. 

As the first Indian movie to enter the mainland in two years, Chinese netizens are highly anticipating the film because its director Nitesh Tiwari's previous work was Dangal, the wrestling film starring Aamir Khan that set a record for Indian movies in the Chinese mainland by grossing $193 million in 2017.

Additionally, Chhichhore had already received good reviews and a satisfying box office worldwide when it first came out in 2019. 

Chhichhore tells the story of a middle-aged divorcee whose son Raghav tries to commit suicide out of fear that he will be called a "loser." Raghav survives, though he is in critical condition. His father decides to tell his son about his own experiences being a "loser" as a young man in 1992 in the hopes of encouraging his son to hold onto life.

Based on the big success of Bollywood films in China, which also include Secret Superstar, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Andhadhun and Hindi Medium, the potential that Chhichhore could win big in the mainland is very high. This may also be further boosted by a lack of Hollywood films being released around the same period.

According to Chinese film ticketing platform Maoyan, the number of released Hollywood films in the mainland from 2018-21 is continually dropping. 

As China, the world's largest film market, has been gradually slashed import of Hollywood movies  to Hollywood, this has created springtime for films made in other countries, including India. However, it is still hard to predict if more Indian films are going to screen in China in the future. 

The mainland film market has become an eye-catching target for many countries who hope that their country's films can profit off of the world's largest film market. Besides the South Korean film Oh! My Gran recently hitting Chinese theaters, China has also opened its door to  to Bollywood for profit. 

China has been a country of etiquette since ancient times. Indian netizens should realize that respect and understanding between countries must be mutual. If they can stop inciting national hostility toward China, especially about the China-India border clash, Chinese people will also welcome more cultural communications between the two countries, which might include more Indian films being released in the Chinese mainland. 

If you are friendly to China, we will be nice to you, too!