Chandni Chowk to China, Nikkhil Advani’s ambitious 2009 film featuring Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone, remains one of Bollywood’s infamous box office failures. Recently, Advani recounted shocking reactions from fans and media when the film didn’t live up to its massive hype, especially from a reporter who publicly urged viewers to throw stones at Advani’s home. The director remembered being stunned as the reporter declared him responsible for wasting people’s money, pointing out his residence on camera.
In a fascinating twist, Advani revealed that years later, he encountered this same journalist while running his own production company, deciding not to remind him of the incident, attributing it to karma and his “South Bombay dignity.”
Reflecting on why the film faltered, Advani shared that Chandni Chowk to China was overburdened by too many creative perspectives. “Democracy killed the film,” he admitted, explaining that conflicting opinions from Warner Brothers, producer Rohan Sippy, Akshay Kumar, and himself led to an unbalanced final cut. The film, initially set to be a Rs 100 crore blockbuster, ended up grossing Rs 53.45 crore worldwide against a budget of Rs 65 crore.
Despite Chandni Chowk to China’s failure, Advani has since built a thriving career in the industry, with the experience serving as a reminder of the unpredictable turns Bollywood can take and the intense scrutiny filmmakers face.