Rating: 2.5/5
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Gordon Liu, Roger Yuan, Mithun Chakraborty, Ranvir Shorey
Director: Nikhil Advani
Chandni Chowk to China (CC2C) is the story of a simple boy called Sidhu (Akshay Kumar) who works with his Dada (Mithun Chakraborty). However, unable to really get out of his dada’s dhaba business, Sidhu is disappointed with his life. He constantly seeks the guidance of his guru Chopstick (Ranvir Shorey) to help him take the right decision. In real though the baba is a fake who is only using Sidhu’s naivety for his benefit.
On one such day when Sidhu is visiting Chopstick, there are two young Chinese men who are visiting him. Chopsticks convinces Sidhu that the men feel that he is the reincarnation of dead warrior king and so he must go to China to save them from the evil Hojo (Gordon Liu).
And so Sidhu heads to China along with Chopsticks. On his way from India to China, he meets Ms. TSN (Deepika Padukone). Ms. TSN is a model on television who promotes different products for people to buy. But when she gets to China, she discloses the fact to one of her dealers that she is actually from China and this is where her mother lost her father and twin sister Susie.
In the mean time Hojo and Meow (Deepika Padukone) come to know of Sidhu’s entry into China and Hojo wants to see him dead. He arrives in the small village where Sidhu is staying. This time he has Sidhu’s Dada whom he has got kidnapped from India and brought to China. In the skirmish with the highly trained Hojo, Dada dies and Sidhu is nearly dead. One of Hojo’s men takes Sidhu and throws him off the Great Wall of China.
However, luckily for Sidhu he is saved by Chiang – a mad man with some history who stays in the Great Wall of China. He slowly brings Sidhu back to life and next begins Sidhu’s quest to avenge his Dada’s death.
That’s what the rest of CC2C is all about.
In the lead up to the release of CC2C there was a lot of hype and publicity. But sadly the film hasn’t lived up to the expectations.
In the first half of the film you are left baffled with no clue about what is happening. The editor seems to have done his job half asleep. The second half of the film definitely picks up – but that’s only when you compare it to the first half.
Certain things that leave you baffled are why you would go all out to promote the fact that your film is the first to be shot in China and then have sequences that clearly show you are Bangkok airport! Other than shots of the Great Wall of China there is nothing else that proves this film was shot as much in China as is being proclaimed by the film makers. The comedy in the film is forced and it almost looks stupid as opposed to entertaining or hilarious.
Coming to the acting Deepika’s role as Ms. TSN makes you want to ban all telly shopping networks! The scene outside the Chinese embassy is anything but funny. But Akshay does deserve accolades. He has carried the film firmly on his well worked out shoulders and if it wasn’t for his presence, this film wouldn’t last a week – if that. His action sequences and martial arts training are brilliant. His training in the field clearly shows. Kumar has definitely held his own alongside the legend Gordon Liu. Coming to Liu – he is outstanding. His fight sequences are picture perfect and completely belie his age. Mithun Chakraborty and Ranvir Shorey are wasted in the film.
On the whole CC2C leaves you disappointed. The film will get its opening all across the world because of Akki’s presence but whether it will be able to sustain it – that’s something that certainly looks questionable.
Akshay with his martial arts was going to be a huge draw for audiences. But sadly for the actor, his director Nikhil Advani has failed him. At every step.
