Rajni-Akshay's 2:0 fails to impress Chinese audience

Shankar's 2:0 starring Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar in lead roles flopped in China. Apparently, Chinese love Bollywood family dramas more than costume dramas or FX films.

Mumbai: One of the biggest blockbusters 2:0 has turned out to be a major flop in China. Shankar's 2:0 starring Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar, hit the screens in China on September 6 collected a meagre Rs 22 crore in its first week in the Chinese market.

The failure of 2.0 follows the no-show of another domestic record buster Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. The SS Rajamouli starring Prabhas managed around Rs 52 crore after releasing in May 2018, running to near-empty Chinese theatres.

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Trade insider Girish Johar feels, "The anticipated collections are not there, and yes, both these films have underperformed despite getting a big push before their Chinese releases. The stories did not resonate with the Chinese audience. Both films had decent starts at the box-office, proving that there was an initial curiosity. But the interest level dwindled thereafter, as the local audience in China couldn't connect with the storylines."

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The rejection of these out-and-out entertainers has come as a shock considering Bollywood commercial films as Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Dangal, AndhaDhun, Secret Superstar and English Medium had done splendid business which made most in the film trade feel that a new market had opened up for mainstream Indian movies.

It is clear that Chinese do not opt for costume dramas or FX films instead, they love family dramas and remain excited for the Bollywood thrillers.

Explains trade analyst Amod Mehra, "From what I gather, the Chinese prefer family dramas and suspense thrillers coming out of Bollywood, not costume dramas or FX films."

From IANS reports.