Chandni Chowk to China: Review review

Share

The makers of Chandani Chowk to China know exactly how to put Chinese language to the best use, Chandani Chowk wala Sidhu (Akshay) calls the China girl (Deepika Padukone) Chu-chee!!!! The real name of the character is Meow Meow!! From Chaddies to walnut and potato Ganesha to cosmic kicks, the film tries hard to make us laugh, though mostly in vain.

Akshay Kumar (Sidhu), is an orphan, brought up by Dada (Mithun Chakroborty) who runs a street side food stall in old Delhi's Chandani Chowk area. In his otherwise mundane life, Sidhu's most precious discovery is a potato, resembling a ganesha statue that he carries everywhere. His life is destined to change forever, as he is discovered to be the reincarnation of a great Chinese warrior Liu Shengh.

Ho Jo (Chia Hui Liu) is colorful villain, complete with a vamp (Deepika Padukone in her second role--Meow Meow AKA Chu-Chee), who holds an entire village hostage to his tyranny. He has also driven an honest police officer Chiang (Roger Yuan) insane and inducted one of his pretty daughters into his gang.

Meow Meow and Sakhi are twin sisters, daughters of Chiang. While first daughter works for Ho Jo and smuggles diamonds, the second daughter (both played by Padukone) is a teleshop model, who undertakes a journey across the great wall to find her father.

Akshay lives up to his new found image of a God fearing village idiot who abstains from women. His character, given the possibility of the plot, is made sound full of patriotism and congratulatory of women who spend most of their lives within the periphery of Indian kitchens.

The two characters played by the leading lady Padukone, has two different tinges. As a model she endorses some very interesting products, like an anklet that makes people dance, a bullet proof umbrella also used as a parachute and an anti-villain spray, all used as plot and dance number devices in the film. The purpose behind her Chinese voyage is to find her lost family namely her father, however, the lucky lady ends up also finding love in the hero Sidhu.

Padukone's other character is a traditional vamp, who works for the villain. She smuggles diamonds in her belly and also lays honey traps. Deepika gets a chance to showcase her martial arts skills here. Some nice action scenes. As Bollywood is gradually getting back to its regressive self, leading ladies are turning fighters. In an otherwise forgettable film "Drona" Priyanks Chopra had also exhibited her flair for action.

Don't expect much from the China connection. All you get to see is the great wall, a Chinese village (as good as any Bollywood village) terrorized by a Chinese villain (just like any other villain). Our Bollywood hero arrives there to liberate the villagers. Though he begins badly and not only loses his Dada but is also subjected to extreme humiliation.

In order to avenge the murder of his Dada, he decides to learn martial arts from an insane police officer. However, when the opportune moment of the decisive duel arrives, what comes to his rescue is his good old Chandani Chowk vegetable chopping moves.

Intelligent storyline or plot was least expected but the film also fails on the front of humour. Gimmicks like Chu Chee, Chaddi, walnut, cosmic kick and potato Ganesha almost everything fall flat.

Though, the film tries to laugh at its own brand of humour and Bollywood masala but that also turns out to be a desperate attempt to make us laugh that doesn't work. This seems to be the latest trend in Bollywood, stupid films often try to laugh at their stupidity as if to make a statement, "look, we know it's stupid, but you know this is what we're all about and this is what works here!"

Chandani Chowk to China gate is the outcome of one of the biggest collaborations of Hollywood and Bollywood mixed with Chinese martial arts! The production quality is definitely superb, action sequence, though not path breaking, are good enough. What the film lacks, is a convincing story and the art and craft of storytelling, the perennial crisis of big budget Bollywood films. The saddest part is some of these films still succeed to make quick bucks at the box office!

Unless you worship Akshay Kumar or Potato Ganesha, staying away would do you good.

[rating:1.5]