Jan 22, 2009 08:43 PM
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Chandni Chowk To China – Review
“Leave your brains at home” – the tagline the makers of Chandni Chowk To China is not meant that the film is a senseless entertainer but that film is a fantasy catered to the childlike. The film is an enjoyable entertainer especially for young audiences. I took my wife and two kids and everyone enjoyed the film. My five year old son was very engrossed in the film, scared in certain scenes of the evil villainy of the character of Hojo(played superbly by Gordon Liu), enjoyed the comedy, songs, action and followed the film with great interest. The film has a message to ‘believe in yourself if you want to make an impact’. A miracle will not happen unless you do something yourself to make things better. When the character of Sidhu(Akshay Kumar) fights Hojo, he visualizes the villain as a fat potato, implying that if we visualize something that is not fearful, we take the fear away for us. This notion was lost on most critics who complained the scenes were childish.
Films are made for a target audience and many times audiences fail to realize this. The genre for young kids is a case in point. People may complain that not enough films are made for young children but when they are made, criticisms are made that the films are childish(major film critics say this) – but they fail to realize they are meant to cater to the childlike. In fact it seems there is a deliberate attempt to knock down Akshay Kumar and the film like they did with Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Saawariya.
Films such as Tara Rum Pum, Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic, Singh is Kinng, Bhootnath, Koi Mil Gaya, Roadside Romeo etc. These films are big budget productions and the makers took a big risk because family films are not usually patronized in the theaters. Instead of supporting such films that entertain and provide a good message, reviewers and critics unjustly criticize the film.
The entertainers of Manmohan Desai films(Suhaag, Naseeb, Dharam Veer) are far and few these days and it is the treatment of the film that counts not the originality of the film. It does not matter if themes are similar but the films should entertain and this film does. When my son says that this film is more entertaining then Hollywood hits like Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, it make me proud that he enjoys Indian films as well. In fact Akshay Kumar was excited to show the film to his five year old son and grandmother. Both loved the film.
The movie has excellent performances from all the artists. Akshay Kumar is a bona fida true star. After Amitabh Bachchan, this is one actor who has a fan following from 4 – 80, male or female. Not only is he an all-India super-star but now he is appreciated world-wide. In this film his comic timing, action and emotions are right on for his character. There is nobody better in Indian cinema in action scenes. Deepika Padukone excelled in her portrayal of the two sisters. In fact a reviewer from the U.S. wrote that if one didn’t know that the same actress portrayed both roles, it seemed that two different actresses played the different roles.
The production values are first rate with excellent cinematography, scenic locations, special effects, background score etc. From the first few minutes till the end the film is non-stop enjoyment. I enjoyed this film much more than big hits such as Singh is Kinng, Om Shanti Om, and Kriish.
Don’t follow the reviews, leave your brains behind and enjoy the fantasy ride.
