MUMBAI: In a move that breaks the long impasse of any Indian film releasing in Japan in a big way, Reliance Entertainment has sold the distribution rights of 3 Idiots, Don 2 and Makkhi for their International release in Japan. This deal was inked at the Mumbai Film Mart held in 2012 under the aegis of Mumbai Film Festival.

The release of India‘s highest grossing film may well mark the opening up of Japan as a significant territory in the international distribution of Hindi movies.

Japan‘s oldest production and distribution company Nikkatsu will release the first two films in Japan in summer this year and Unplugged Inc. will release the animated creature film in autumn. The Aamir Khan-starrer will see the widest ever release for a Hindi movie in Japan on 18 May in approximately 50 screens.

Commented Reliance Entertainment, CEO, Sanjeev Lamba, "Reliance Entertainment broke fresh ground in the international markets with a tie-up with Nikkatsu- Japan‘s oldest & century old movie studio. Nikkatsu will release Reliance Entertainment‘s top grossing film of all time internationally - 3 IDIOTS & the third ranking international grosser of all time DON-2. This initiative of Reliance Entertainment should pave the way for opening up of Japan as a major international market for Indian films in the future".

The Japanese companies are determined to make the release of Indian films a success in order to grow the market and build long term relations. Strategizing for the same, they collaborated with the Indian Embassy in Japan and for the first time ever an international media contingent was sent to Mumbai for the promotions of these films back home.

This contingent comprised representatives from Television, Radio, Press, Magazine and online website. They had very candid and detailed interviews with Rajkumar Hirani, Priyanka Chopra, producer Ritesh Sidhwani talking about their body of work, future projects, and specifically on the Japanese release of their films.