Tamil movie Maharaja is set to be the biggest Indian film released in China this year, likely beating out the competition, including big names such as Kalki 2898 AD, Street 2, and Kanguva, according to a report by India.com.
The ₹25 crore budget movie starring Vijay Sethupathi and Anurag Kashyap was also well received in India. It is now set for a a 40,000 screens theatrical release in China on November 29, it added.
According to the report, Alexi Woo, a representative from Yi Shi Films, said in a statement, "We are proud to bring Maharaja to theatres in China and share the artistry of Tamil cinema with a new audience."
In another statement, producer Sudhan Sundaram from Passion Studios said the movie has "emotional appeal" that could hook the crowd in China, it added.
So, how is Maharaja poised to earn ₹700 crore? On average, a successful film release in the northern neighbouring country brings in between $1,000-3,000 per screen, it said. Multiply the median of $2,000 with the 40,000 screens Maharaja is set to be screened in at the movie, which could rake in an estimated $80 million or ₹700 crore, the report noted.
For reference, Aamir khan's Dangal is the biggest Indian release in China, having grabbed ₹1,300 crore from the market. So, Sethupathi's movie has a chance to beat out major competition and surpass blockbusters such as Kalki 2898 AD, Stree 2 and Singham Again in the Chinese entertainment market.
The movie earned a total of ₹106 crore worldwide after its release in 2024, whereas its gross collection in India stood at ₹81.78 crore. Movie's net collection in Tamil stood at ₹56.93 crore, according to Sacnilk.
Vijay Sethupathi's 50th movie ‘Maharaja’ released on Netflix on July 12 in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada languages.
Film trade analyst Ramesh Bala, in a social media post on X (formerly Twitter) had said that Maharaja would be “a record breaker movie no matter where it goes.” He added that it is the highest-grossing Tamil movie in the USA for 2024, and crossed the 1 million mark at the Malaysia and Gulf BOs.
Starring Sethupathi in the lead role, the audience can also enjoy performances by Anurag Kashyap, Mamta Mohandas, Natarajan Subramaniam, Abhirami Gopikumar, Singampuli, Aruldoss.
