Akshay Kumar has managed to get the biggest debut weekend in China as Toilet Ek Prem Katha grossed over $9m (61 crore apprx) and this is more than what Aamir Khan, Salman Khan or Shahrukh Khan films made when their first films released in China. The Aamir Khan and Shahrukh Khan debuts were a long time ago but it is Akshay Kumar who has set the benchmark for the younger heroes like Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ranbir Kapoor and Varun Dhawan to aim for when and if they make their debuts in the Middle Kingdom. There was Hindi Medium with Irrfan Khan but that was not his debut film.

Akshay Kumar would have been a more or less totally unknown face in the market but Toilet Ek Prem Katha has managed to get over 1.75 million people into the theaters. Toilet Ek Prem Katha is very a desi film and with the audience for Hindi films in China is primarily women according to reports it is a film which will hold limited appeal for them. Padman is due to release in China later on this year and that could turn out to be a different kettle of fish as the subject could hold much more appeal for the female audience and its and off beat unusual film and on top Akshay Kumar will be a more known face at that time than at the time of Toilet Ek Prem Katha release. Its the Padman types that can really hit the right notes in a market like China if the audiences connects to them.

If the actors really want to make a dent into the Chinese market then they will have to actually go to the country and build the fan following and then please that following and its not a overnight thing. Aamir Khan started the process when 3 Idiots was a huge hit on the home video circuit and it took time to be at the level he is at now. No other actor has made the effort and if China can really open up and they start giving good deals where a good chunk of the business comes back then other actors will have to make the effort.

The opening weekend numbers of Toilet Ek Prem Katha in China is as follows. The film is sure to be a plus film but really needs to sustain Monday onward as then it will be a HIT and more importantly will have been appreciated and that is most important for the actors.

Friday

Collection- $2,350,000

Screenings - 57,136

Footfalls - 497,184

Saturday

Collection - $3,550,000

Screenings - 54,901

Footfalls - 735,355

Sunday

Collection - $3,160,000 apprx

Screenings - 53,708 apprx

Footfalls - 650,774 apprx

Total

Collection - $9,006,000

Screenings - 165,745

Footfalls - 1,883,313