Nikhil
Advani's
dream
of
making
the
first
Bollywood
film
in
China
could
only
be
partially
realized.
After
a
major
part
of
the
shooting,
the
director
and
his
entire
crew
had
to
hastily
leave
China
and
look
for
an
alternative
place
to
shoot
the
rest
of
the
film.
If
New
York
is
being
shot
in
Philadelphia.
Chandni
Chowk
To
China
has
been
shot
in
Bangkok.
And
with
good
reason.
Says
Nikhil,
"It
was
the
year
of
the
Olympics
in
China
and
it
became
impossible
beyond
a
point
to
shoot
in
the
country
where
our
film
is
based.
Maybe
a
quieter
less
flamboyant
film…but
not
the
kind
of
action
that
Akshay
has
shot."
Apparently,
the
Olympics
authorities
found
Akshay
Kumar's
athletic
exertions
to
be
a
bit
of
an
intrusion
in
the
preparations
for
the
grand
international
event.
Says
Nikhil,
"Bangkok's
topography
is
quite
similar
to
China.
Also,
it's
a
very
Bollywood-friendly
country.
So
we
just
had
to
let
go
of
the
real
country.
Because
the
action
scenes
required
Olympian
skills
and
infrastructure."
Akshay
Kumar
had
to
battle
it
out
with
globally-known
actors
like
Gordon
Lieu
who
was
in
The
36th
Chamber
Of
Shaolin
and
Roger
Yuan,
the
main
baddie
in
the
Jackie
Chan
starrer
Shanghai
Noon.
Says
Nikhil,
"Gordon
Lieu
is
a
well-known
name
in
Hollywood
and
Roger
Yuan
is
the
only
Asian
actor
who
works
out
of
Bollywood.
They
both
play
arch-villains.
Then
I've
a
cast
of
actors
who
are
stalwarts
in
China.
They
held
on
their
own
against
Akshay,
even
when
they
were
taken
out
of
their
home
ground
and
put
into
Bangkok
masquerading
as
China."
Incidentally,
apart
from
Akshay,
Mithun
Chakraborty
who
was
also
quite
an
action
star
during
his
heydays
has
been
given
to
do
stunts
in
Chandni
Chowk
To
China.
Says
Nikhil,
"Mithunda
will
kick
some
ass
too.
Action
is
the
backbone
of
my
film.
While
other
films
have
item
songs
Chandni
Chowk
To
China
has
item-action.
It's
the
action
scenes
that
move
the
plot
forward.
The
songs
are
extremely
situational.
I'm
very
lucky.
I
got
Bappi
Lahiri
to
re-do
his
'Bambai
Se
Aaya
Mera
Dost'.
I
think
the
music
is
a
decent
follow-up
to
my
Salaam-e-Ishq."
As
for
the
expectations
from
the
film,
"Ya.
I'm
getting
nervous
as
the
release
approaches." Next,
Nikhil
produces
a
film
adapted
from
The
Wedding
Crashers.
"Our
production
company
has
got
together
to
co-produce
a
Hindi
version
of
The
Wedding
Crashers
with
Warner
Brothers.
We've
bought
the
rights
and
David
Dhawan
will
be
directing
the
film
for
us."