Popularity of Indian TV soaps in China

I had posted the YouTube clip of the Taiwanese guy singing the song from "Rab ne Bana di Jodi", where we had mentioned the popularity of Indian TV soaps in China. Well, one thing that a lot of media outlets in India missed was how Sandhya Mridul, the actress in Koshish: Ek Asha was invited as a jury member for the Shanghai Television Festival last year in 2008.

The entire soap was actually dubbed in Chinese (Mandarin) and telecast in China. A Chinese TV network bought the rights in 2005 to telecast all the episodes in China. The serial was definitely worth it because I have seen it and really liked it.

Sandhya, it seems, is now a "household name" in China after the serial and she was obviously surprised and happy at the serendipitous happening. Said she:

“It is an honour to be sitting on a jury panel comprising producers, directors, actors and critics from all over the world. I’m very ecstatic about being a jury member here. The section I’m judging has international films that have been made specifically for television.”

So, it seems that the basic cultural values in India and China are pretty similar, despite the great commercial growth in last few decades. On the other hand, can you even see the opportunity that Ekta Kapoor is missing out in China?? Imagine holding the Chinese Saas-Bahu glued to the TV in two of the most populous countries!! In fact, this serial Koshish: Ek Asha may well be the most watched TV serial in history of mankind - taking sheer numbers into account - from both China and India!!!

Reference Links:

1. Sandhya Mridul on jury of Shanghai Television Festival