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Chandni Chowk to China

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For other uses, see Chandni Chowk (disambiguation).

Chandni Chowk to China
Theatrical release poster
Directed byNikkhil Advani
Screenplay by
Story by
  • Rajat Arora
  • Shridhar Raghavan
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyHimman Dhamija
Edited byAarif Shaikh
Music by
  • Bohemia
  • Background Score:
  • Daniel B. George
Production
companies
Ramesh Sippy Entertainment
People Tree Entertainment[1]
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • 16 January 2009 (2009-01-16)
Running time
154 minutes
CountryIndia
Languages
  • Hindi
  • Mandarin
Budget₹800 million (US$9.6 million)[2]
Box office₹1.2 billion (US$14 million)[3]

Chandni Chowk to China (shortened to CC2C) is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language martial arts action comedy film[4] directed by Nikkhil Advani and stars Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone, with Mithun Chakraborty and Hong Kong action cinema actor Gordon Liu among the co-stars. In addition to being shot in China, many parts of the film were shot in Bangkok, Thailand,[5][6] although some of the China scenes were shot in sets on the Shanghai Film Studio.[6] The film revolves around a vegetable cutter from Chandni Chowk in Delhi who finds himself on an adventure in China after the residents of an oppressed village deem him to be the reincarnation of a slain Chinese revolutionary.

Distributed in the U.S. and co-produced by Warner Bros., it is the third Bollywood movie made and distributed in partnership with a major Hollywood studio, following Sony's Saawariya (2007) and Walt Disney Pictures' animated feature Roadside Romeo (2008).[7] It is Warner Bros. Pictures' first Hindi film.[8] Released on 16 January 2009.[9] Indiagames had also released a mobile video game based on the film.[10]

Plot

[edit]

The film begins with the story of the Great Wall of China and the brave warrior Liu Sheng. It then shows the evil smuggler Hojo's tyranny in the village of Zhange in the present.

Sidhesh Sharma, aka Sidhu, is a simple vegetable cutter at a roadside food stall in the Chandni Chowk section of Delhi. He consults astrologers, tarot card readers, and fake fakirs to turn around his destiny despite his foster father, Dada, pushing him to believe in himself instead. When two Zhange villagers from China claim him as a reincarnation of 'Liu Sheng,' Sidhu, encouraged by trickster Chopstick, believes he will be feted as a hero and travels to China with them, unaware of his recruitment to assassinate Hojo and free the village.

On the way to China, Sidhu meets Sakhi, an Indian-Chinese spokesmodel. Her twin sister Suzy, known as the femme fatale Meow Meow, works for Hojo, not knowing the truth: that Hojo tried to kill her father, Inspector Chiang, and stole her from him as a baby. Chiang is now an amnesiac vagrant living around the Great Wall tourist area. Sidhu realizes the truth about why he was brought to the village. Scared, he apologizes to Hojo, exposing himself as a loser to the village. Dada arrives and starts beating Hojo's men, yelling at Sidhu to stand and fight. Hojo kills Dada and dumps Sidhu over the Great Wall. Injured and disgraced, Sidhu is saved by the amnesiac Chiang from falling to his death and spends three months healing. Upon waking up, he is devastated at losing Dada and vows revenge. Meanwhile, Chopstick, similarly devastated at being responsible for what happened to Sidhu, has infiltrated Hojo's gang to help reunite Sakhi with Suzy.

During Sidhu's first attempt at attacking Hojo, Sakhi, and Chopstick see him and realize with joy that he is alive. Chiang recovers his memory after seeing Sidhu and Sakhi together and is reunited with his daughter. He trains Sidhu in kung fu so he can go up against Hojo. Hojo lies to Suzy that Chiang killed her real father; she stabs Chiang in retaliation but realizes that Hojo lied to her when she sees her twin, Sakhi. She then betrays Hojo and returns to her family. Sidhu fights Hojo in single combat, eventually using his own vegetable-cutting technique to overpower him and finally kill him.

In the aftermath, Sidhu opens a vegetable stand in China and is recruited to help African Pygmies.[a]

Cast

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Production

[edit]

The film, earlier known as Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo and also Made in China,[12] is written by Sridhar Raghavan.

Shooting began in January 2008 and included a schedule in China.[13]

Release

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Box office reception

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Chandni Chowk to China earned ₹330 million (US$4.0 million) in its opening weekend.[2] It went on to earn a total of ₹407 million (US$4.9 million) in India.[14] The film's total North American box office in the four weeks of running was $921,738, and total worldwide gross was $13,439,480.[15][14]

Critical reception

[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 42% of 59 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.2/10. The website's consensus reads: "A thin plot is disguised by high octane dancing and action in this Bollywood crossover comedy."[16] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 44 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[17] Claudia Puig of USA Today said, "This Indian/Chinese cinematic hybrid is likable and entertaining but overlong and occasionally hokey", and that Kumar's "physical humor brings to mind Jim Carrey".[18] John Anderson of Variety wrote, "If Chandni Chowk to China were a person, it would need Valium", and found that "everything is fast and furious, hilarious, hysterical and frantic. Some of the sequences as are quite beautiful and, in the case of the dance numbers featuring Padukone, stunning. But it's the fight scenes as that truly take off".[19] Frank Lovece of Newsday wrote, "Less a Bollywood bonbon than a pan-Asian fusion dish, this combination of Indian musical and Chinese chopsocky is, nonetheless, delicious fun".[20]

Steven Rae of The Philadelphia Inquirer stated that, "Chandni Chowk is entertainingly goofy for about 30 minutes. And then, for the next two hours-plus, it's agony."[21] Scott Tobias of The Onion described the film as "crass, schizophrenic, culturally insensitive, horribly paced, and shameless in its pandering to the lowest common denominator",[22] while Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly said, "This galumphing elephant of a chopsocky revenge-of-the-nerd quasi-musical lacks the lyrical choreographic beauty that has marked such Stateside Bollywood releases as the gorgeous Lagaan".[23] Michael Philips of the Chicago Tribune called the film "a massive and rather tiring showcase for Bollywood action hero Akshay Kumar".[24] Indian critic Taran Adarsh gave the movie 1.5/5 stars, calling it "a big, big, big letdown".[25] Rajeev Masand of IBN termed it a tiring watch, while praising Kumar's performance.[26]

The film has received one award nomination, with Deepika Padukone being nominated for Best Actress at the 3rd Asian Film Awards held in March 2009.[27]

Controversy

[edit]

In Nepal, there were protests against the film due to a passing claim that Buddha was born in India; Lumbini, which is the birthplace of Buddha, is located in Nepal.

Several shows were cancelled in Nepal due to the protests.[28] Protestors threatened to burn cinemas that screened the film, and racial slurs like "Dhoti" were hurled against Indians online.[28]

The protests continued for several days, despite the Nepali distributor deleting the piece of narration that mentioned Buddha in the copies of the film shown in Nepal. On 22 January, Nepali cinemas stopped and banned screening Chandni Chowk to China.[29]

In the aftermath of the Nepal controversy, actor Shekhar Suman criticised the film with some derogatory and rude comments. He also stated the movie is an amateurish attempt by Nikhil Advani, terming it as a "worst" film.[30] Mostly, supporters of Kumar, especially Nikhil Advani stated that it was a publicity stunt to bring Suman's son Adhyayan in limelight for release of his film Raaz: The Mystery Continues. Suman replied to the claim that it was not a publicity act and the latter apologized to Kumar for it.[31][32][33]

Music

[edit]
Chandni Chowk to China
Soundtrack album by
Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, Bappi Lahiri, Bappa Lahiri, Kailasa, Kailash Kher, Paresh, Naresh and Bohemia
Released4 December 2008
Recorded2008
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length37:43
LabelT-Series
ProducerShankar–Ehsaan–Loy
Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy chronology
Konchem Istam Konchem Kastam
(2008) 		Chandni Chowk to China
(2008) 		Luck by Chance
(2008)
Bappi Lahiri chronology
Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron
(2007) 		Chandni Chowk to China
(2008) 		My Love
(2009)
Kailasa chronology
Dasvidaniya
(2008) 		Chandni Chowk to China
(2008) 		Chaandan Mein
(2009)
Bohemia chronology
Chandni Chowk to China
(2008)

The music of Chandni Chowk to China was released on 4 December 2008. The album features composers as diverse as Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, Kailash-Paresh-Naresh, Bappi Lahiri-Bappa Lahiri and Bohemia.

Track-List
No.TitleLyricsMusicSinger(s)Length
1."S.I.D.H.U"Kailash KherKailasaKailash Kher5:04
2."Chandni Chowk To China"Rajat AroraShankar–Ehsaan–LoyNeeraj Shridhar, Anushka Manchanda, Shankar Mahadevan4:26
3."India Se Aaya Tera Dost (Aap Ki Khatir)"Rajat Arora, Shaily ShailendraBappi LahiriBappi Lahiri, Ravi K Tripathi6:29
4."Tera Naina"Rajat AroraShankar–Ehsaan–LoyShankar Mahadevan, Shreya Ghoshal4:18
5."Chak Lein De"Kailash KherKailash Kher, Naresh, PareshKailash Kher4:25
6."Chandni Chowk To China (CC2C)"BohemiaBohemiaBohemia, Akshay Kumar, Aastha Gill3:44
7."Chandni Chowk To China" (Remix)Rajat AroraShankar–Ehsaan–LoyDj A-Myth4:41
8."Chak Lein De" (Remix)Kailash KherKailash Kher, Naresh, PareshDj A-Myth4:36
Total length:37:43

Reception

[edit]

Joginder Tuteja of Bollywood Hungama.com rated it 3.5/5, claiming, "Chandni Chowk to China is clearly the next musical hit in the making."[34][failed verification]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ The end credits of the film contain a teaser for a sequel titled Chandni Chowk to Africa and a sequel was planned by Warner Bros India but did not materialize.[11]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Chandni Chowk to China (2009)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  2. ^ a b Chandni Chowk to China crosses Rs 33 cr at local box office, The Economic Times, 20 January 2009
  3. ^ "Box Office India.com: Top Lifetime Grossers Worldwide (IND Rs)". boxofficeindia.
  4. ^ "Ramesh Sippy's Chandni Chowk To China". British Board of Film Classification.
  5. ^ BollywoodMovies.US: "Deepika Padukone in Bangkok" Archived 29 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine, 24 March 2008.
  6. ^ a b NewsLine365.com: "Chandni Chowk to China shot mostly in Bangkok" Archived 6 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine, no date.
  7. ^ Chhabra, Aseem, "From Bollywood to Chinatown: Warner Bros. teams with India for 'Chandni Chowk' martial-arts musical" Archived 22 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Film Journal International, 14 January 2009.
  8. ^ "CC2C's Bollywood splash in US". Washington/New York: Mid-day.com. Indo-Asian News Service. 10 January 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  9. ^ India Yearly Box Office – 2009. boxofficemojo.com.
  10. ^ "Chandni Chowk To China". phoneky.com. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  11. ^ After CC2C, Warner Bros eyes Chandni Chowk To Africa. Business of Cinema. 16 January 2009.
  12. ^ Abid, Bollywood Trade News Network, "Mithun in Chandni Chowk to China?" Archived 13 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine via Naachgaana.com, 8 December 2007
  13. ^ Indiantelevision.com, "Warner Bros to distribute Nikhil Advani's 'Made in China'", 21 August 2007
  14. ^ a b "Chandni Chowk To China". Box Office India. Retrieved 28 March 2014.(subscription required)
  15. ^ "Chandni Chowk to China". BoxOfficeMojo.com. 12 February 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  16. ^ "Chandni Chowk to China". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 16 July 2022. Edit this at Wikidata
  17. ^ "Chandni Chowk to China". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc.
  18. ^ Puig, Claudia, "'Chandni Chowk' takes meandering journey across Asia", USA Today, 16 January 2009
  19. ^ Anderson, John. Chandni Chowk to China (review), Variety, 15 January 2009
  20. ^ Lovece, Frank. Chandni Chowk to China (review), Newsday, 16 January 2009
  21. ^ Rae, Steven (16 January 2009). "A 'Slumdog' this one surely is not". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  22. ^ Tobias, Scott (15 January 2009). "Chandni Chowk To China". The Onion.
  23. ^ Gleiberman, Owen. Chandni Chowk to China (review), Entertainment Weekly 14 January 2009
  24. ^ Philips, Michael. "'Chandni Chowk to China': Bollywood hybrid fails to fly", Chicago Tribune, 21 January 2009
  25. ^ Adarsh, Taran, Chandni Chowk To China (review), BollywoodHungama.com
  26. ^ Masand, Rajeev. "Masand's Movie Review: Chandni Chowkasa misadventure IBNLive.com
  27. ^ The Associated Press, Hong Kong (22 March 2009). "Nominees for the third Asian Film Awards". The Jakarta Post. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  28. ^ a b India is Buddha’s birthplace in 'Chandni...', Nepal fumes, Daily News and Analysis, retrieved on 20 January 2009
  29. ^ Chandni Chowk to China 'banned' in Nepal, The Economic Times, retrieved on 23 January 2009
  30. ^ "Shekhar Suman blasts Akki and CC2C". MidDay. Upala KBR. 19 January 2009. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023.
  31. ^ "Shekhar Suman apologises to Akshay for 'Chandni Chowk...' comments". Zee Entertainment Enterprises. Zee News. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  32. ^ "Big-mouth Shekhar apologises to Akshay". India Today. 30 January 2009. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023.
  33. ^ K. Jha, Subhash (26 January 2009). "Shekhar Suman apologises to Akshay". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023.
  34. ^ "Music Review". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 15 April 2008. Retrieved 6 December 2008.
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