Move over Crime Master Gogo here comes Hojo the Shakaal (from Shaan) look-alike who chops people's heads off with his hat.
WHAT'S IT ABOUT: Move over Crime Master Gogo here comes Hojo the Shakaal (from Shaan) look-alike who chops people's heads off with his hat.
Cut to disco king Mithunda who has superpowers one kick from him sends victims into space. And forget karate school, the quickest way to become a martial arts expert just roll the belan in your kitchen for a few days.
All this and many more Szechwan surprises await you in Nikhil Advani's Chandni Chowk To China. This chopsuey consists of dhaba dude Sidhu (Kumar) who's mistaken to be a reincarnation of an ancient warrior by some Chinese villagers.
He's then taken to China to fight the evil Hojo (Liu) only Sidhu doesn't know it. It's all about Hindi-Chini-bhai-bhai until Hojo kills Sidhu's mentor Dada (Mithun). Chandni Chowk's vegetable cutter seeks revenge . Helping him learn the nuances of martial arts is a cop-turned-beggar-turned-cop (Roger Huan).
In the process, Sidhuu00a0 also romances his trainer's daughter Sakhi (Padukone) who also has a twin sister Meow Meow. How Sidhu triumphs in his battle is what the rest of the film is about. Say chow chow to that.u00a0
WHAT'S HOT: Director Nikhil Advani serves a Chinese bhel puri of Kung Fu Panda and The Karate Kid. The production values have a lavish flavour.
Nikhil adds spice into his song picturisations the title number and Sidhu's introductory song linger in the memory. The director also steals a part of the recipe from Tarantino's Kill Bill in the India Se Aaya Mera Dost number and does it pretty well with the Matrix touch and all.
He also adds zing in the masala medley where Meow Meow is trying to seduce Sidhu (the only genuinely hilarious part of the film). Stunts by Dee Dee Ku are a highlight. Among the performances, Deepika Padukone improves over previous performances.
Akshay Kumar's return to action is enjoyable, but alas, it's only post-intermission. The actor attempts to shine in a half-baked film. Watch out for his enjoyable tribute to his own Chura Ke Dil Mera chartbuster.
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WHAT'S NOT: One wishes Nikhil Advani had fine-cooked the script and screenplay a bit more before serving it. This comedy film doesn't evoke any laughs. The attempt at humour is enough to give you acidity. Besides, neither Chandni Chowk nor China has been exploited to the fullest.
The only glimpses Advani shows you of China are the Great Wall and Shanghai airport everything else is make-believe. The new Crime Master Hojo flies around like a kite and to establish his menace, Advani even makes him piss on poor Sidhu. The first half set in Delhi is painful to watch all the tea in China won't help you cope with it.
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The film picks momentum just before interval and when you're about to expect some more action, it falters again. Sidhu has enough reason for vengeance but the director garnishes it with frivolity, thus losing steam. The most crucial part Sidhu's training evokes unintended laughter.
The other embellishments: Bond-type gadgets, murder by chopsticks, Rocky-style climactic end of training, the seven-foot silver-haired incredible hulk, are all served bland. Ranvir Sheroy is achingly unappetizing; Mithun hams and haws and Gordon Liu as Crime Master Hojo should be sent back to the 36th Chamber of Shaolin.u00a0
WHAT'S THAT! In one scene, Deepika's father, who has been missing in action for twenty years, is a beggar with torn clothes, unshaven beard and long unkempt hair. In the very next scene when he regains his memory (thanks to a family photograph!!!), he's clean-shaven, well-spoken and also back in the force as a cop!u00a0
WHAT TO DO: Watch it only for the super action scenes in the second half. The rest is like Chinese torture.
Chandni Chowk To China
**
Dir: Nikhil Advani
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Mithun Chakraborty, and Gordon Liu
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