A wide range of theories are being circulated as to why Dangal, a film about a wrestler father who forces his daughters into the sport is resonating with Chinese audiences
An Indian film that addresses social themes and stars actor Aamir Kahn has captivated audiences in China. The film is thriving, despite the fact that India was the only major country to boycott Beijing’s Belt and Road Forum earlier this month.
But the irony and sharp contrast of those two developments was largely lost on the millions of Chinese viewers who have helped keep the Hindi language film land in the top slot, despite the fact that it has subtitles and no voice-over dubbing.
Analysts, film critics, and social media pundits are still debating what drove hordes of Chinese viewers to this movie, which is not your standard Bollywood mix of songs, dance and bloodletting violence.
Breaking new ground
According to industry sources, this is the first time a movie that was not made in Chinese or English has emerged as the top seller in the world’s second-largest movie market. China imports very few foreign films a year, and non-Hollywood movies make up an even smaller portion of that share.
A wide range of reasons are being forwarded as explanations for the success of Dangal, which has grossed $124 million since its May 5 release in 9,000 theaters across China. On Friday, three weeks after its release, the movie finally slipped from the first to the second highest selling slot. The runner-up, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy 2, has brought in $98 million in China over the same period.
Perhaps an important reason for Dangal’s success is the celebrity status that Aamir Khan, the star and driving force behind the movie, has enjoyed in China for several years with his previous movies, PK and 3 Idiots, which did very well with Chinese movie-goers. Even before Dangal arrived on the Chinese scene, Amir had a bigger following on his Sina Weibo social media account than Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His following now stands at 600,000 fans compared to Modi’s 165,000.
Deft marketing including personal canvassing by Khan, who spent a week traveling across Chinese cities, also played a part.
But critics and social media pundits in China see an altogether different reason. Thousands of reviews, articles and social media posts have focused on the peculiar connection between patriarchal society in China and India.
Patriarchy vs feminism
The film revolves around a wrestler father who forces his reluctant daughters to take up the sport.
His authoritarian and strict parenting style is something audiences in China can easily relate to, said Edward Chan, a sociology professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
“I think the father role portrayed by the movie in India is quite similar to the culture, especially the traditional culture in China, ” Chan said.
Tansen Sen, professor of history and Asian studies at the City University of New York said, „It has a story that resonates with the Chinese, both with regard to parent-child relationship as well as the fascination with sports.“
And while some feminists see the father’s behavior as problematic, they also see much to applaud in the story. For those that do, the movie is seen as empowering women.
Two feminist groups, Jianjiao Buluo (Screaming Pepper Tribe) and Cheng Yusan (Orange Umbrella) treated a group of 120 people to a free screening of the film in Guangzhou.
Lu, a 20-something entertainment industry employee, says the movie piqued her curiosity towards India, a country with a population as large as China. Lu says that many young Chinese like her want to follow their own dreams and have the support of their parents.
“I feel the father’s support for his children was especially moving and that parent’s strictness toward their children is for their own good, ” Lu says.
The party-backed tabloid, the Global Times, slammed the movie for celebrating the values of a domineering father, who pushes his two reluctant daughters into wresting as a career choice. The paper said the film has sparked off a major controversy over different aspects of feminism in China, and whether modern day girls should completely reject the values of patriarchal society.
But the paper also quoted viewers who had a different viewpoint. „It made me think of my father, “ the Times quoted one person as saying. „His reticent love for us. I wanted to call him, say nothing, just cry, and cry like a river to release myself from my deep regrets.“
Cao, a fan who says he has been watching Aamir Kahn’s movies for years said there are not enough films like Dangal in the Chinese market. He said he admires Kahn for his dedication to his profession (how he lost and gained weight) and the effort he put into addressing a social cause through the film.
“Just like people are saying online, he is influencing all of India as a country and all of its people, ” Cao says “And I think that’s really great!”
Next Bollywood blockbuster?
Another Hindi movie, Tubelight, is waiting to access the Chinese market. It features Chinese actress and singer Zhu Zhu, and the story revolves around the 1962 India-China war. Analysts are asking if Beijing will allow its entry given its reluctance to discuss this war publicly.
„The two governments should just let the people know each other through free-flowing exchanges and interactions. Sometimes this will result in negative perceptions and misunderstandings, but it will eventually lead to a more nuanced and balanced views of each other, “ Sen added.

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Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council says Beijing has not given any concrete evidence to support the allegations against Li Ming-che
Authorities on the mainland have officially arrested Taiwanese human rights activist Li Ming-che on charges of subversion, in a case observers say will entrench a cross-strait stand-off. Li, who has been held by authorities since he entered the mainland from Macau on March 19, could become the first Taiwanese to be charged with the crime, which comes with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. “With the approval of prosecution authorities, Taiwan resident Li Ming-che was recently arrested by security agencies in Hunan province on suspicion of subverting state power, ” said An Fengshan, spokesman for the State Council’s Taiwan Affairs Office. An said that since 2012, Li had frequently visited the mainland and collaborated with individuals to set up illegal organisations, and to organise and carry out seditious activities to try to overthrow the political system. “Li and others have confessed that they had engaged in activities endangering national security, ” he said. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said Beijing failed to provide any concrete evidence that Li was involved in any subversion. “Such allegations not only fail to convince the Taiwanese public, but also international groups concerned about the case, ” the council said. It urged mainland authorities to release any evidence immediately and allow Li’s relatives to visit him on the mainland in line with a cross-strait agreement on fighting crime. Li, 42, a rights activist and a former employee of Taiwan’s independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, went missing on March 19 immediately after he entered Zhuhai from Macau. A friend who was supposed to meet Li at the customs checkpoint on the mainland side waited for four hours without seeing him, according to his wife, Li Ching-yu. Beijing finally admitted last month Li had been held for investigation into his alleged activities. Li Ching-yu said that unlike other activists, her husband was “low key” and had merely exchanged ideas on democracy with friends made on WeChat. She said her husband travelled to the mainland once a year. Li Ching-yu later sought help from both the Taiwanese government and international human rights groups, including those in the United States, hoping they could help pressure Beijing to release her husband. Beijing considers Taiwan a mainland province subject to eventual union, by force if necessary. Analysts said it was rare for mainland authorities to arrest Taiwanese human rights activists and charge them with subversion. “Usually charges like that are meant for Taiwanese arrested for alleged espionage, or mainland dissidents protesting against mainland authorities over human rights abuses, ” said Wang Kung-yi, a professor of international relations and strategic studies at Tamkang University in Taipei. But Phoenix TV commentator Song Zhongping said Li’s case was simply a criminal case of someone jeopardising the mainland’s national security. “It does not matter which country, region, or political party he is from. If he violated the law and he should be punished, he will be punished, ” Song said. “In any country, such cases would be dealt in this way. It’s not the specifically targeting him or the DPP or the Taiwan authorities.” Taiwanese authorities, including President Tsai Ing-wen, have repeatedly called on Beijing to release Li, saying such action would only discourage Taiwanese from visiting the mainland and intensify the cross-strait row. Ties have been strained since Beijing suspended talks and exchanges with Taipei shortly after Tsai took office in May last year. She has refused to publicly acknowledge the one-China principle, which Beijing says is a political basis for talks and exchanges.

© Source: http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2095896/taiwanese-activist-arrested-alleged-subversion-mainland
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