'Hindi Medium' director, Saket Chaudhary: All of us owe Aamir Khan
| Updated: Mar 19, 2018, 09:54 IST
Saket Chaudhary's directorial 'Hindi Medium' is all set to release in China where Bollywood superstar, Aamir Khan's fan-base has multiplied by thousands post the release of his hit film, 'Dangal'. The director, in fact, thinks everyone owes Aamir for showing "initiative and vision" in taking Hindi cinema to a new audience.
After the success of Aamir's 'Secret Superstar' in China, even Salman Khan's 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' did rather well and now Irrfan Khan's 'Hindi Medium' is all set to hit theatres there too on the 4th of April. Talking to a leading news agency about this, Chaudhary said, "I think all of us owe Aamir Khan for showing an initiative and vision in taking Hindi cinema to a new and large audience. Without 'Dangal', the Chinese audience may have not been familiar with the new Hindi cinema emerging here that blends entertainment with strong social themes." "'Secret Superstar' has established that even smaller Hindi films have an opportunity there. We would like 'Hindi Medium' to do well and continue the trend. We are a continuation, not a competition," he added. For Chaudhary, it's not "so much" about the size of the market, but about reaching a new audience and how they connect to the story. What surprised the film's team was the similarities between Indian and Chinese parents. "Both have an obsession with education as a means of social mobility and also their desire to learn English in order to be a part of the global economy. So we are excited to see how the Chinese audience connects," said the director.
Shah Rukh Khan too was all praises for 'Hindi Medium'. "After he saw 'Hindi Medium', he called me to tell me how much he liked it. I would love to direct him. Hopefully, I'll have a script soon that I can take to him," Chaudhary said. "For me, the most important reason to make a film is because I believe it's a compelling story that impacts me while making it and impacts the audience while watching it. I have no interest in cashing in on success. The most important aspect of making a film for me is the challenge it offers. So, I'm looking at ideas that do exactly that," he said.
After the success of Aamir's 'Secret Superstar' in China, even Salman Khan's 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' did rather well and now Irrfan Khan's 'Hindi Medium' is all set to hit theatres there too on the 4th of April. Talking to a leading news agency about this, Chaudhary said, "I think all of us owe Aamir Khan for showing an initiative and vision in taking Hindi cinema to a new and large audience. Without 'Dangal', the Chinese audience may have not been familiar with the new Hindi cinema emerging here that blends entertainment with strong social themes." "'Secret Superstar' has established that even smaller Hindi films have an opportunity there. We would like 'Hindi Medium' to do well and continue the trend. We are a continuation, not a competition," he added. For Chaudhary, it's not "so much" about the size of the market, but about reaching a new audience and how they connect to the story. What surprised the film's team was the similarities between Indian and Chinese parents. "Both have an obsession with education as a means of social mobility and also their desire to learn English in order to be a part of the global economy. So we are excited to see how the Chinese audience connects," said the director.
Shah Rukh Khan too was all praises for 'Hindi Medium'. "After he saw 'Hindi Medium', he called me to tell me how much he liked it. I would love to direct him. Hopefully, I'll have a script soon that I can take to him," Chaudhary said. "For me, the most important reason to make a film is because I believe it's a compelling story that impacts me while making it and impacts the audience while watching it. I have no interest in cashing in on success. The most important aspect of making a film for me is the challenge it offers. So, I'm looking at ideas that do exactly that," he said.