娱乐英语新闻:Interview: Bollywood film actress Rani Mukerji calls for more Indo-China film production

MUMBAI, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- India's popular film actress Rani Mukerji said she was looking forward to Indo-China co-production in film industry.

"I am actually very keen to do Indo-China co-production where I can be part of Chinese film or Chinese actors can be part of Indian film, " she told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Feeling happy and honored for the release of her film in China and expressing willingness to work with Indo-China co-produced film, she said "Chinese audience watching Hichki in Hindi with Chinese subtitle were reacting like any Indian fans would because they were connecting with the story, they were connected with the emotions."

"You realize that you don't have to know the language to connect with the film, you can connect with the emotions, you can connect with the story. I think that's what makes movie so so special... If the emotions are universal it can connect anywhere."

Hichki, a 2018 Indian Hindi comedy-drama film, which is an adaptation of the autobiography "Front Of The Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me The Teacher I Never Had." In the movie, Mukerji played a leading role of an aspiring teacher having Tourette Syndrome, who must prove herself by educating a group of underprivileged students.

Since Bollywood star Aamir Khan's film "Dangal" released in China in 2017, one thing has become increasingly clear that more and more Indian movies have an easier way to travel to China. "Hichki," Mukerji's first film released after a four-year hiatus is one of them.

Produced on a limited budget of 12 crore Indian rupees (1.7 million U.S. dollars), the film has grossed 239.79 crore Indian rupees (36 million dollars) worldwide, the majority of which came from China. It was one of the top seven highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2018 reportedly.

To see Chinese people connect to the story the way an Indian audience would do was phenomenal and amazing, Mukerji told Xinhua News Agency.

"For me being in China and getting the love from the Chinese people, for me there is nothing bigger than that, " Mukerji said.

Known for her work in Hindi films, Mukerji, born in 1978, is one of the country's most popular actresses and has received many awards, including seven Filmfare Awards. Her roles have been cited in media as a significant departure from previous screen portrayals of Indian women.

In addition to acting in films, Mukerji is involved with several humanitarian causes and is vocal about issues faced by women and children.

At the very beginning of the interview, Rani expressed her best wishes to all the Chinese people.

"I would like to wish all the Chinese people a very very happy new year and very prosperous new year and I hope everybody of you having a great time with the family," she said.

"Wo ai ni," she ended her wishes in Chinese, which means "I love you" in English, blew a kiss to the camera.