INSTEP Magzine

It has been two weeks since this high profile movie released in India and there's no way of denying that it is a certified flop…despite Akshay Kumar and despite the double dose of Deepika Padukone. And after watching it, one has to agree it is a shameless adaptation (presented with the inevitable Bollywood tarka) of Kung Fu Panda, shameless because this being the first Warner Brothers-Bollywood production, Ramesh Sippy and Nikhil Advani (producer and director respectively) could have created something a bit more original. And CC2C is two hours and twenty minutes of absolutely inane comedy and it makes no sense at all, not at any time. But in a world that is bubbling over the brim with one thing or the other to brood and worry about, this kind of slapstick does have the capacity to provide a few moments of mindless comic relief. Here's why we think you should watch Chandni Chowk to China…

1. We all love a serving of good old Chinese take away food. It's tasty and above all, it's cheap! And 'cheap' is exactly what this film is! Chandni Chowk to China presents Chinese noodles in an Indian thaali. Sound like a khichri? It is indeed! The film recreates the absurdity of good old Bollywood (and by old we mean 'eighties' old) on an even more nonsensical Chinese platter. Fans of Sholay and Seeta aur Geeta will appreciate Ramesh Sippy's yesteryear hangover (as he directed those two hit films) and will love the Chinese version of Ramgarh where Chinese pheasants are subjected to torture by Hojo, the villain. Hojo, of course, is Chinese for Gabbar Singh! But Hojo could also be Rajnikanth reincarnated because he flips his bowler hat even faster than the South Indian hero himself! That said, this is an improvement on Ram Gopal Varma Ki Sholay!

2. For those who loved 'Pappu can't dance' from the soundtrack of Jaane Tu, there is a 'Baby can't dance' CC2C version in which the popular AR Rahman song is spoofed. It's one of the many different spoofs in the film. In 'Baby can't dance', Deepika also known as Miss TSM, cannot dance until she ties 'Dance Master G-9' electronic ankle bands to her feet. And when we say G-9, we actually mean Chinese ghungroo because that's what they turn out to be. The sequence is entertaining but the best part is when Akshay ties them around his feet and Deepika keeps changing the settings to various popular tunes including a 'Salaam-e-Ishq' Rekha mujra. In another spoof, Akshay relives the energy of his hit single 'Chura kay dil mera goria chali' and it is hilarious!

3. The trivia on this film is interesting, including the goof ups. Because of the film's narrator calling India the country "where Lord Buddha was born" the Nepalese have banned the film in Nepal. In a goof up, the Great Wall of China is remarked to be the only human landmark on Earth that is visible from the moon whereas scientific research has proven that any human being needs to have 7.7 times his actual vision to see it.
The Kung Fu/ Wu-xia convention in Kung Fu Panda - whereby Po controls the snow leopard Tai Lung by attacking the exact nerve points in his little pinky - is recreated as 'Cosmic thumb action' in CC2C. It kind of makes you wonder: do these guys have absolutely no original ideas? But CC2C has several of these recreated moments that one can only watch in wonder and we suggest you do!
4. The comedy is enjoyable in a very thoughtless way too and one must admit, that is the kind of comedy one sometimes needs. It's not everyday that one can see Lord Hanuman in a potato and consider it good karma!

5. Last but not least, this movie should be watched as the last portraying Akshay Kumar as the village idiot. Apparently he has been advised to stay away from the road Govinda once walked and concentrate a little more on serious cinema. Serious meaning normal. That said, Akshay does come across as an actor worth appreciating. He does his action without looking like the Hulk reincarnate (which is what overcame Aamir Khan in the highly over-rated Ghajini) and he has the good humour to be able to laugh at himself easily. His comic timing is great and over all, he in one great entertainer. Akshay sure won't be winning any awards for CC2C but the film does deserve a watch! Deepika, on the other hand, is merely eye candy whether she is in the role of Suzy, Sakhi, Miss TSM or Miaow Miaow.
– Aamna Haider Isani