MUMBAI: China and India should definitely cooperate in making a film which blends the two cultures and strikes a chord with audiences of both sides, Indian actor Aamir Khan told Xinhua in a recent interview.
Khan appeared excited about his upcoming visit to China and expressed his wish to cooperate with Chinese talents in the film industry. The actor, whose latest film Secret Superstar is to be released in China on Friday, will soon fly to Shanghai to kick off his one-week trip. He will stay in Beijing from January 23 to January 26.
Secret Superstar tells the story of Insia, a 14-year-old Indian girl who chases her dream of being a singer against all odds, in which Khan was cast as a sleazy musician. “In Dangal, I’m very serious. In Secret Superstar, I’m very funny,” Khan said.
Dangal, Khan’s last film, a biopic in which he acted as a strict Indian father with three daughters, has been regarded as a black horse in Chinese box offices in 2017, raking in nearly $190 million, which surpassed any other Indian films’ overseas earning.
Besides looking forward to the upcoming get-together with his Chinese fans, Khan recalled his last visit to the country which ended on a positive note.
Referring to Chengdu as a “city of paradise,” Khan said, “Outside India, Chinese food is my favourite. Normally, I have a very strict diet. But whenever I go to China, I follow no diet… The people are also very warm and lovely. And I think that’s what really attracts me.”
As one of the most recognised Indian actors in China, Khan has visited twice since 2015. He said he felt Chinese and Indian people have many things in common when it refers to characters and social culture.
“There are many Chinese actors who are very talented… I really want to do films with talent from China. Chinese talents and us Indians, we should make a film together. I believe it’ll be wonderful,” Khan added, with a determined look.
Noting Bollywood’s developed industrial system and China’s huge film market, Khan said, “I would like to see a lot of collaboration between creative people from China and India, making stories that people from both countries would love to see.”
“I think it will bring the two countries closer. It will be wonderful for Indian audience to see Chinese actors and talents,” he added.
Khan has established himself as one of the most popular and influential actors of Indian cinema ever. He also works as a film producer, director and television talk show host. Hence, he only produces one film every one or two years while the whole productivity of the Bollywood industry exceeds 2,000 movies a year.
“Half of my time is spent on my film work and the other half on my social work,” Khan explained.
Making a movie requires “lots of time” and “movies should be made from the heart”, the Bollywood megastar stated with a smile, adding that “I’ll try doing it faster.”