Can 'Brahmastra' Save Bollywood? Why Arthouse Drama 'Return To Dust' Is A Surprise Hit In China

This week I’m looking at two separate box office phenomena – the opening of what is being billed as the Hindi film industry’s biggest ever film, Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva, and whether it can stem the tide of flops that Bollywood has endured this year, and the surprise success of Li Ruijun’s arthouse drama Return To Dust which has grossed $15m and counting at the China box office.

Next week I’m planning to share some research into broader box office recovery in East Asia, but I’m also travelling across Britain and flying to India, which may not go smoothly. It feels strange to be leaving the UK at a time like this. I’m not a royalist, nor do I support some of the institutions she headed, but the Queen conducted herself with dignity and carried out her duties responsibly, which is more than we can say for the feckless government that Britain has had to endure during the pandemic.