Movie Review: Chandni Chowk to China

Banner: R S Entertainment, Orion Pictures, Warner Bros
Producer: Mukesh Talreja, Rohan Sippy
Director: Nikhil Advani
Star Cast: Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone (double role), Ranvir Shorey, Mithun Chakraborty, and Gordon Liu
Music Director: Shankar Mahadevan, Loy Mendonca, Ehsaan Noorani
Cinematography: V Manikanandan
Choreography: Bosco Martis, Caesar Gonsalves
Story Writer: Sirdhar Raghvan

The comedy film “Chandni Chowk to China” comes with amazing stunts actions from Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone and evil Hojo. The film script is not new but the locations and costumes are different from what we have been seeing in last few months. Akshay is consistent in delivering a comedy but he appears forcing fun in a few sequences and Deepika’s looks as a Chinese girl is impressive .The technical aspects of the movie are excellent.

The film script has no scope to apply any kind of logic. The movie never tries to give logic for whatever is happening that is a disadvantage. Akshay’s has been aware that he alone will be handling the comedy part of the movie and he tries to do all to bring fun and sometimes the fun appears unbearable.

The story of the film is about a simple man living in Chandni Chowk area of Old Delhi. He earns his living by cutting vegetables and working at a restaurants. The initial part of the film shows a man who belongs to Old Delhi region ,having crowded streets, rickshaws and Chandni Chowk’s food.

Sidhu tries hard for his life but he is not lucky to earn good money in life and his friend Dada advice him to believe in him and not give up in life. Sidhu has been running to astrologers to bring about a change in his destiny. One day the photograph of a war hero Li Shiang reaches his friend chopstick and two Chinese gentlemen start believing that Sidhu is a reincarnation of their slain hero who can save their village from the evil Hojo.

Chopstick makes use of the situation and forces Sidhu into a journey to China and he meets Sakhi, a model, on his way who lost roots in China. Sidhu reaches the village where people are being used by the villain smuggler leader Hojo and Sidhu has to fight Hojo to save the villagers from the cruelty of Hojo. How Sidhu does that is story of the movie.

The film shows martial arts, dance sequences and romance between the leads amidst the change in culture from India Hinduism to Buddhism. The stunt scenes have lots of energy and there is too frequent shifting from comedy to serious scenes. The film’s climax is not very convincing that has been made funny and illogical. The weakness in the script emerges in the second half and in the climax part. The good song “India se aaya mera dost” is placed in the end like the “Bumbai se Aaya Mera Dost,” when the audience starts getting out of the theatre.

The combined job of action director, cinematographer and editor is convincing and the choreography of dances is ok. The most attractive part of the film is Chinese look costume and stunts of Deepika that has been shot well. Even Akshay tried hard to be sincere to his role as he transits from Delhi cook to action hero.Mithun Chakraborty’s performance is ok but his appearance in climax is confusing. Ranvir is average in movie.

The film lacks polished and consistent approach but it is an entertainer that will be watched by family audiences, kids and fans of action movies of Akki as the movie has a also has a kind of Chinese Kung fu.

Rating: 6 / 10