Buolo Ren, one of the leading film distributors in China, recently visited India to participate in FICCI Frames 2023. During the event, Ren spoke extensively about the recent trends in the Chinese entertainment industry and the kind of changes the industry has witnessed post the Covid-19 crisis.
In this exclusive interview, he talks about the reasons behind the Chinese audience responding positively to Hindi films, why many Chinese films don’t release in India, Indian shows and films he enjoyed watching recently and the experience of participating in FICCI Frames 2023.
Dangal, PK, Secret Superstar and Andhadhun are some of the Indian films that have done extremely well in China. Do you see more number of Hindi films releasing and striking a chord with the Chinese audience in the near future?
Yes, I do. I expect many more Indian films to do well in China in the near future. I strongly believe the content and the style of storytelling in India is very suitable for the Chinese market. All of us are from the East and therefore, have similar cultural backgrounds.
As a distributor based in China, what are the elements of Hindi films, you feel, connect with the Chinese audience?
The Chinese audience reacts very well to the emotions in Indian films. Emotions are not bound by any language. They are universal in nature. The Indian films which have done very well in China are the ones that were high on emotions and had the kind of storyline which managed to keep the audience engaged. Till now, the Chinese audience is mostly familiar with Bollywood or Hindi films. We are hopeful about the fact films made in other Indian languages too will leave a mark in China in the times to come.
In today’s globalized world, when the audience is consuming contents of all languages, do you think there is any scope of Chinese films releasing in India?
I hope so. Language has been a barrier in this regard. In China, the audience likes to read subtitles and watch the film in its original language. In India, things are different. When there is more awareness around the language and culture of China, one would hope to see more number of Chinese films releasing in India. In the past, many actions films featuring the likes of Jackie Chan did extremely well in India.
Which are some of the Indian films you watched recently and liked?
I get a lot of recommendations on social media. I make it a point to watch films and shows which are recommended by many. I recently watched the web-series ‘Farzi’ and really enjoyed it. I also liked watching the Tamil language film ‘Thunivu’.
How was the experience of participating in FICCI Frames 2023?
It was a huge honour to be invited to be a part of FICCI Frames 2023. I would like to thank the organization for inviting me. I have visited India a couple of times in the past as well. The country has always felt like home to me. Dr. Kotnis has always been my hero and he came from India. He has been the symbol of friendship between India and China.