Indian revenge thriller Mom, starring the late Sridevi, is off to a good start at the mainland China box office. Originally slated to hit the screens on 22 March in the PRC, the film directed by Ravi Udyawar got postponed to 10 May in order to capitalise on the Mother's Day weekend. Mom, which fetched Sridevi a posthumous National Award for Best Actress, has pulled in a fantastic three-day opening weekend total of $5.96 million (Rs 41.8 crore) in the Middle Kingdom.

The film secured a solid $1.68 million (Rs 11.8 crore) on its opening day in China and launched at No 4 position at the daily box office on 10 May, only behind director Rob Letterman's Pokémon: Detective Pikachu,  Disney/Marvel's box office juggernaut Avengers: Endgame and the 2018 Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize winner Capernaum. The opening day gross of Mom tracked better than recent Indian blockbuster Andhadhun ($1.3 million) and other 2018 releases such as Thugs of Hindostan ($1.54 million), Padman ($1.53 million), Sultan ($0.94 million), 102 Not Out ($0.82 million), and Hichki ($0.77 million).

Mom scored the seventh biggest opening day total for an Indian film, only behind Secret Superstar, Dangal, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Hindi Medium, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. Recent smash hit Andhadhun opened on 3 April for the five-day Qingming festival weekend (Chinese Memorial Day) and hauled in a cumulative total of $14 million (Rs 97 crore) in its five-day opening weekend.

In an official statement, Vibha Chopra, Head-Global Syndication and International Film Distribution, ZEE Entertainment, said, "We were confident that the film would be piqued well in China, but these numbers have taken us by a huge surprise and left us elated. We are now optimistic of a record-breaking weekend. The legendary stature of Sridevi is unmatched and taking her film to as many countries, and people across the world is our small way of showing our deepest gratitude to the filmmakers to trust it with taking the film far and wide."

Mom has a fantastic score of 9.3 on 10 in Maoyan, China's popular movie ticketing and box office platform. Maoyan is forecasting a good lifetime total of 123 million yuan (Rs 126 crore) for the film, which also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Akshaye Kanna in essential roles. Now, the worldwide theatrical revenue of Mom, including the $5.96 million (Rs 41.8 crore) opening weekend gross, has sailed past the Rs 100 crore mark with a running total of Rs 108.12 crore.

Producer Boney Kapoor's statement read, "Mom is very close to our hearts and we are very overwhelmed to witness the love the film is receiving in China. I want to express my gratitude to Zee Studios International to take the film to a wider audience and a whole new level. At such an occasion, I wish Sri was here to see the huge success her film has garnered."

Hrithik Roshan's Kaabil secures China release on 5 June

While the number of Indian imports in China increased from two in 2016 and one in 2017 to a massive 10 films in 2018, 2019 has already witnessed two movies, including Andhadhun and Mom. The latest update from the country is that Hrithik Roshan would be the next Indian actor to foray into the world's second largest movie market with Kaabil, which is slated for a release on 5 June in the PRC. The film, directed by Sanjay Gupta, has Hrithik playing a visually challenged man and also stars Yami Gautam as the female lead.