Chandni Chowk to China makes news in US

“Chandni Chowk to China” is the first Bollywood movie to be released in the U.S. in the wake of the Bollywood-flavored “Slumdog Millionaire.” Let’s hope it’s not the last, since this galumphing elephant of a chopsocky revenge-of-the-nerd musical lacks the lyrical choreographic beauty that has marked the few previous American Bollywood releases. This one, though, certainly has plenty of movement.

Chandni Chowk to China is directed by Nikhil Advani and stars Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone in the lead roles, with Hindi cinema veteran Mithun Chakraborty and Hong Kong action cinema veteran Gordon Liu among the co-stars. The film is the first Hindi film shot in China. However, many parts of the film were shot in Bangkok, Thailand, although some of the China scenes were shot in sets in the Shanghai Film Studio. This is Warner Bros. Pictures’ first Hindi film. The film is the first Bollywood movie to get a North American release from a major studio.

The movie features India’s biggest action star, Akshay Kumar. He plays a vegetable cutter from the Chandni Chowk district of Delhi who may be the reincarnation of an ancient Chinese warrior. “Chandni Chowk to China” is two hours and 34 minutes long and for two hours of it, before he embraces his Destiny, Kumar sputters, weeps, screams, mugs, worships a potato he thinks is a god, weeps some more, and generally carries on in the hysterical manner of a Hindi Roberto Benigni.

In the last part of the movie, everything goes all Karate Kid, though I do wish the fights were kickier. They’ve got nothing on the mad choreographed scrambles in such martial arts extravaganzas as Kung Fu Hustle or House of Flying Daggers. “Chandni Chow to China” does have one mildly insane disco-cheez dance number (don’t get your hopes up, it’s the film’s only full-on musical sequence), plus a villain with a flying derby á la Odd-job. Deepika Padukone in Chandni Chowk to China looks just like Beyoncé.

Chandni Chow to China is in theaters now.