Andhadhun edges past Hindi Medium to become fourth top grossing Indian film in China

Director Sriram Raghavan’s black comedy-crime thriller _Andhadhun_ , which burst onto mainland China’s screens on 3 April, has edged past Irrfan Khan’s 2018 blockbuster Hindi Medium ($32.7 million) to become the fourth top-grossing Indian film in China. The extraordinary success of Andhadhun has evidently dispelled notions that Chinese cinephiles would roll out the red carpet only to message-driven, socially-conscious Indian stories like Dangal, Secret Superstar and PK to name a few. [caption id=“attachment_5300631” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”]  Ayushmann Khurrana and Tabu in a still from AndhaDhun. YouTube[/caption] Andhadhun, which stars Tabu, Ayushmann Khurrana, and Radhika Apte in the lead roles, has amassed a mind-blowing total of $35.6 million (Rs 248.3 crore) in 16 days of its theatrical run. The film has earned more than twice its lifetime Indian total of Rs 95.63 crore gross, which is phenomenal by any yardstick. Andhadhun was one of the rapturously reviewed Indian films of 2018 and was ranked as the Top Indian Movie of 2018 by popular online database website IMDB , where it has an excellent score of 8.5 out of 10 from close to 40,000 users. Taking into account the lifetime non-China overseas total of $3.1 million (Rs 23 crore) and the cumulative Indian gross of Rs 95.63 crore, the running worldwide total of Andhadhun, including the peachy 16-day Middle Kingdom total of $35.6 million (Rs 248.3 crore), stands at a humongous Rs 366.93 crore. Now, Andhadhun has emerged as the fourth highest grossing Bollywood film of 2018, besting the totals of highly popular Khan movies such as _Thugs of Hindostan_ and Race 3 . The enviable Rs 366.93 crore running worldwide total of Andhadhun also puts the film ahead of Baaghi 2, Hichki, and Badhaai Ho .  Now, Andhadhun has surpassed Badhaai Ho to become Ayushmann Khurrana’s highest grossing film of his career. It is also the first entry for the actor into the Rs 300 crore club, which is generally reserved for A-list stars in Bollywood. Going by the steady run for the film produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures & Matchbox Pictures and distributed internationally by Eros International, Andhadhun is all set to beat Ranveer Singh’s smash hit _Simmba_ and vault over the Rs 400 crore mark in worldwide theatrical receipts at the end of its China run. Overwhelmed by the blockbuster figures of the film from the world’s second largest movie market, Ayushmann said in a statement, “As an artist, it’s always extremely satisfying to see a film not only receiving appreciation from audiences but also delivering big at the box office. I’m thrilled with the fabulous response that Andhadhun has received first in India and now in China. The film’s achievement has reinstated my faith in the fact that universal stories will always have a bigger reach. It’s absolutely incredible to see the run that Andhadhun is having in China and having a Rs 200 crore feat in the country will always be memorable for me personally.” Now, the next significant feat for Andhadhun in China would be to surpass the earnings of Salman Khan’s cross-border social drama Bajrangi Bhaijaan. The Kabir Khan-directed film was received fabulously by PRC movie buffs last year and hauled in a lifetime China total of $45.3 million (Rs 294 crore). Maoyan, China’s popular movie-ticketing and box office platform, has increased the lifetime forecast of Andhadhun from 281 million yuan ($41.8 million) to 303 million yuan ($45.1 million) now, thanks to the consistently-positive word-of-mouth from audiences. The film holds an exceptional rating of 9.1 out of 10 on Maoyan from 90,000 viewers and is currently tracking better than 99 percent of suspense films and 95 percent of crime movies on the platform. “Sriram Raghavan has given the world a thriller that is keeping everyone on the edge of their seats and language is not being a barrier. Thus, Andhadhun has passed the true test for cinema given its universal appeal,” added Khurrana. Director Sriram Raghavan said he is super thrilled with the response of the film from Chinese audiences. With nearly $39 million running total from overseas takings, Andhadhun has also become the seventh top earning Indian film from foreign markets after Dangal, Secret Superstar, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Disco Dancer, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion and PK. It will soon become the seventh Indian film ever to touch the $40 million mark from overseas regions. Thanks to the East Asian nation’s mind-blowing reception for the film, the overseas total of Andhadhun has now outnumbered the earnings of Padmaavat, Sultan, Sanju, Dhoom 3, and 3 Idiots to name a few. In China, Andhadhun is currently the ninth highest grossing import film of 2019, besting Hollywood projects such as Escape Room, Aquaman and Dumbo . It is also the 19th highest earning film of 2019 in the Middle Kingdom.